Keonjhar, Sept. 28: Three undertrial prisoners, lodged in Barbil sub-jail in Keonjhar district, escaped after attacking jail officials on Wednesday morning.
The three were identified as Suleman Munda and Brundaban Tomsai, both of Joda in Keonjhar district, and Sumanta Das of Jharkhand.
The trio accused had been in judicial custody for the last two months for their alleged involvement in a murder case.
Eyewitnesses said that two persons came in a motorcycle and parked their bikes outside the jail gate. One of them, Rajesh Patra, went inside the jail on the plea that he wanted to meet one of his relatives lodged there. After some formalities, he was taken inside by the lone warder, Ajay Kumar Nayak, on duty.
Rajesh hit the warder with a lathi and he slumped to the ground bleeding profusely. Rajesh then broke open the lock of the cell, where the trio were lodged and managed to free them. All of them fled in the two motorcycles.
“The incident occurred at about 9.30am today. When it took place, I was not in my office. I had gone to my residence for breakfast. On learning the news, I rushed to the jail. However, by that time all of them had fled,” said Barbil sub-jail superintendent Khetrabasi Nayak.
The injured warder was admitted to government hospital at Barbil and stated to be out of danger, an official said.
An FIR has been lodged with Barbil police. “They had been arrested on charges of murder and were wanted in several cases,” said Keonjhar superindent of police Asish Kumar Singh.
It is the second such incident in the district in a year. Last year, two undertrial prisoners had escaped while returning to the sub-jail from Champua court after hearing.