Patna, June 17: A convict who was brought to the state capital for treatment was put up along with his family in a hotel, that too in adjacent rooms, from where he did an audacious disappearing act yesterday evening, raising questions about the role of the policemen guarding him.
Amit Mandal, 40, lodged in Munger jail for alleged offences under the Arms Act and the Crime Control Act, was brought to the city on June 9 for treatment at Patna Medical College Hospital.
Mandal was accompanied by four constables and two havildars, who, for some reason, chose to put him up in a hotel instead of the prisoners’ ward at PMCH. Sources told The Telegraph that there were enough vacant beds at the prisoners’ ward.
Instead, the policemen checked into Janta Hotel, located at Govind Mitra Lane off Ashok Rajpath, on the afternoon of June 9.
The hospitality of the police didn’t end there. Mandal’s family, consisting of his wife Guria Devi, mother Sita Devi and two children, reached Patna the same afternoon from Munger and was allowed to stay in the same hotel.
While Mandal was put up at Room Number 307, allegedly without any handcuffs, the family was allowed to stay in Room Number 306, next to that of the convict.
The policemen chose to stay in Room Number 301, located on the same floor but at a distance of a few feet.
Sources said that around 5pm yesterday, the lights of the hotel went off. Mandal started shouting, saying he was feeling uneasy. One of the policemen went to Mandal’s room, took off his handcuffs and walked him to the gallery outside where he could get fresh air.
Mahboob Alam, one of the havildars in charge, said in his statement: “The gallery was dark and the policeman had started walking towards our room in order to call us. Mandal was alone for some minutes and he took advantage of it and fled. He rushed down the stairs and was nowhere to be seen.”
Hotel employee Roop Raj said the policemen had checked in on June 9 but they were given the rooms only for a day as the hotel was booked for a wedding. The policemen returned on June 11 and were allotted the same rooms.
Munger superintendent of police P. Kannan said strict action would be initiated against the six policemen in charge. “The convict was to be in the prisoners’ ward of the hospital. There is no way he could be kept in a hotel,” he said.