In a shocking lapse, 16 men convicted in a 2012 mob attack fled a Jodhpur court moments after being sentenced. Police say search operations are underway.
In a shocking incident from Rajasthan, 16 people who were recently convicted in a violent attack case managed to escape directly from a magistrate’s court in Jodhpur, only moments after they were sentenced to seven years of imprisonment.
The dramatic escape took place on September 26, right after the court delivered its verdict in a case that had been pending for more than a decade.
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The case goes back to January 31, 2012, when a violent mob of nearly 150 to 200 people allegedly attacked a settlement in Padasala village under the Osian subdivision of Jodhpur district. During this attack, the mob reportedly set a house on fire and injured at least six people.
The complainant in the matter, identified as Pokaram, later filed a case against 19 individuals at the Osian police station. Over the years of trial, three of the accused passed away. The remaining 16 were finally found guilty by the SC-ST special court and sentenced to seven years in jail.
On September 26, at around 1:00 pm, the judgment was announced in the courtroom. Immediately after delivering the punishment, the court directed the escort guards to take the convicts into custody.
However, before the police could actually move them, all 16 accused shockingly managed to flee from the court premises.
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The incident, surprisingly, was kept under wraps for nearly a week and was not reported to the public immediately.
It only came to light when the court’s reader, Sanjay Purohit, filed a case at Uday Mandir police station regarding the mass escape. Following this, police officials acknowledged the lapse in security but, till now, no arrests have been made.
Confirming the registration of the case, Station House Officer of Uday Mandir police station, Sitaram Khoja, said,
“The case has been registered, and the accused will be arrested soon.”
This shocking turn of events has now raised serious questions about the safety and security measures inside court premises in Rajasthan, especially in lower courts.
Legal experts and activists have strongly criticised the lapse, pointing out how unusual it is that 16 convicted criminals could run away from custody immediately after sentencing, that too in a sensitive case involving violence against a marginalised community.
According to sources, once the convicts went missing, the court first informed the concerned advocate before alerting the police. This has also led to concern about the delay in reporting the matter and the lack of quick response from authorities.
This is also not the first time that court security arrangements in Rajasthan have come under the scanner. Past incidents have shown gaps in monitoring and enforcement, but the scale of this particular escape has shocked both the legal community and the public.
As of now, police teams have launched searches to track down the 16 convicts. Authorities have assured that every one of them will be brought back into custody soon. However, nearly a week has passed since the escape, and none of the fugitives have been caught yet.
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