Bhubaneswar, Oct. 7: A 22-year-old criminal escaped from police custody this evening, moments after being produced in a local court.

Yesterday, the police arrested the goon, identified as P. Rama Rao.

Sources said two constables of Kharavela Nagar police station were accompanying Rao, but he managed to give them a slip. The police said Rao was coming out of the court premises, but much to their dismay, he started to sprint. He was without handcuffs at the time of the incident since he had been produced before the judge.

“A policeman was escorting Rao to the police van which was waiting outside. He shoved the constable and started running very fast,” said an eyewitness.

Police commissioner R.P. Sharma said: “Efforts are on to arrest Rao. We will initiate an inquiry into the matter and action will be taken against the police personnel who were found to be irresponsible in this connection.”

Sources said Rao, a noted criminal, was involved in a number of burglary cases in various parts of the city and was arrested earlier.

This time, the criminal was arrested under sections 379 (punishment for theft) and 341(wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code.

In January, a city-based builder, arrested by Jharkhand police for allegedly cheating a businessman in Jharkhand, had managed to escape while he was being taken to a court. The builder had escaped on the pretext of attending nature’s call.

A police team was accompanying him when the incident took place.

In 2013, a youth, accused of assaulting a woman, had managed to escape minutes before he was to be produced in a court.