Rafiq Gani Shaikh, a resident of Vananknagar Pipeline Slum, Thane, who was brought to the city by the Mulund (Mumbai) police escaped from custody on the pretext of relieving himself, the police said.

According to the Chowk Bazaar police, the Mulund police had brought Shaikh to the city on Saturday as his interrogations in Mumbai had revealed that some of his associates stayed in Rampura area of Surat. The Mumbai police also carried out raids at the Chhara Hall area of Rampura, though without any success, and put Shaikh in the Chowk Bazaar police station on Saturday night.

At around 5.30 on Sunday morning, Shaikh attempted to escape on the pretext of answering nature's call, but did not succeed. He, however, managed to flee at 8.45 am on the pretext of relieving himself, when constable Kantibhai Thakorebhai removed him from the lockup.

According to the police, though Thakorebhai tried to hold Shaikh, the criminal still managed to escape.

The Mulund police had arrested Shaikh under sections 3, 4 and 25 of the Arms Act as well as sections 399 and 402 of the IPC and had brought him to Surat to arrest his associates.

Additional Police Commissioner (Range I) C H Surendra Prasad said on Sunday that he had asked the Chowk Bazaar police to prepare departmental papers for the case and conduct an inquiry. No disciplinary action has however been taken against the constable.

``Shaikh does not appear to be a hard-boiled notorious criminal, but investigations and his search are on,'' Prasad stated.

The Mulund police could not be contacted for information on the criminal as the local police were unaware about his exact criminal background.