Safiullah was arrested on June 8 from Howrah in connection with a cheating case and was later remanded in police custody till June 18. On Saturday evening, while he was being taken for interrogation, sources said, he broke free and ran out of the well-manned police station onto the street.
“There was heavy traffic at that time on the Park Street. He managed to evade the pursuing policemen,” sources added.
Alarmed by the incident, police launched a manhunt and raided several areas in the city till late night but failed to trace Safiullah. A police officer at the Park Street police station received a tip-off from a Howrah-based informer in the wee hours on Sunday that Safiullah had taken shelter in a house near Shibpur. The police conducted a raid and arrested him.
Sources added that a separate case has been lodged against Safiullah for escaping from police custody. They added that the inquiry report probing security lapses would be submitted to the Deputy Commissioner (South). No one, however, has been suspended in connection with the incident, as yet.