Covid positive prisoner escapes hospital in Pilibhit, police teams formed to trace him

PILIBHIT: A prisoner, who tested positive for novel coronavirus (Covid-19) at a temporary jail, escaped from L1 facility at the State LH Ayurvedic College, where he was undergoing treatment since July 17.
According to officials, the prisoner escaped the Covid-19 ward on Friday night by scaling a 4-foot-high boundary wall of the hospital.
Notably, the accused was able to give the slip to the health staff and the police guarding the hospital, despite six CCTV cameras installed on the L1 facility premises.
The man, identified as Naresh Kumar, was lodged in a temporary jail on July 13 on charges of kidnapping. After having contracted the disease at the jail, he was shifted to the hospital. Kumar is from Pilibhit's Kharagpur village under Bisalpur Kotwali police station.
Two police teams have been formed to trace Kumar and a probe has been ordered to investigate the incident.
Acknowledging a lapse from both the police and the hospital staff, superintendent of police Jai Prakash Yadav said Pilibhit sadar circle officer Pramod Yadav will probe matter.
“Two police teams, including one each of Pilibhit and Bisalpur Kotwali police stations, have been constituted to trace Kumar. Technically and morally, the police carry responsibility for prisoner’s escape, but the health department should have kept him in a separate room for the purpose of security,” the SP said.
Meanwhile, additional chief medical officer Dr Harpal Singh, passed the buck on to the police, saying, “Medical personnel could not be held liable for the incident as they we are only concerned with providing treatment to the patients.”
SHO Shrikant Dwividi said the prisoner has been booked under section 224 (escape or attempt to escape from any custody in which a person is lawfully detained for any offence) of the Indian Penal Code.