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Escaped prisoner rearrested by cops

Fahauddin Qureshi visited several dargahs all across the country to avoid getting caught.

Hyderabad: The city police finally arrested Fahauddin Qureshi, the under-trial prisoner who had escaped from the Erragadda mental hospital prisoner’s ward three weeks ago, from a religious spot at the state’s border near Gulbarga.

After his escape, the police had launched a manhunt for Qureshi, but had failed to nab him. It is believed that Qureshi was on a “pilgrimage” of sorts as he kept visiting one dargahs after another all across the country, apparently in a bid to escape the cops.

Senior officials revealed that Qureshi had visited famous pilgrim spots like the Ajmer Sharif dargah and other holy places in Agra, Delhi and even Kashmir in the past 20 days.

Qureshi, who was imprisoned under the Narcotic Drugs Act case, wreaked havoc for at least five hours in the prisoners’ ward and escaped with 10 other under-trial prisoners after making a hole in the wall.

“He was on the run. In order to hide from the police, Qureshi visited several dargahs. We caught him following a tip-off,” said a senior police official.

The officials of the Commissioner’s Task Force, West Zone, who received the information that Qureshi was spotted at a famous dargah in the state, lay a trap for him and arrested him.

As the investigation is still on, the police did not reveal the name of the dargah. The cops, however, said that he was arrested at the state’s border near Gulbarga. Police caught him by tracking his phone after he sent his photo through Whatsapp.

West Zone DCP V. Satyanarayana said, “We have taken him to custody. We will produce him before the court on Tuesday.” Officials said Qureshi, who fled with his second wife, was found to be mentally and physically fit in the police custody.

In a seemingly well-planned operation, Qureshi and his aides had started a rebellion inside the prisoners’ ward of the Erragadda mental hospital, and made a hole in the wall using an oxygen cylinder on the midnight of December 2.

While a helpless police force was watching, 11 inmates fled the ward. Cops caught nine of the prisoners over the next few days. Qureshi, however, escaped in Tavera car with his second wife. Cops had alerted police forces in other states, and had started a hunt.

( Source : dc )
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