B'luru riot case accused escapes, manhunt launched after 23 days

Bengaluru

The Bengaluru Central Crime Branch police served a second notice on Friday to the private hospital seeking a detailed explanation for the reasons that  led to the escape of former mayor and one of the accused in high-profile Bengaluru Riot case, R. Sampath Raj who allegedly "escaped" from the hospital on October 7.

After well over 23 days, the CCB police launched a widespread search for Raj, who escaped from the hospital on October 7.

Following Raj's escape, the hospital and CCB police are blaming each other.

According to a senior hospital staff, it was on account of the negligence of the police that Sampath Raj, the main accused in the Bengaluru riots case, has been discharged and  gone incommunicado since then.

"The CCB neglected to place any policeman outside the hospital even after a non-bailable warrant was issued against Raj. How can the hospital be responsible for their negligence?"  a senior staff questioned angrily.

The CCB squarely blames the hospital authorities for giving him discharge certificate late in the night but not informing the police about it, thus giving the accused an opportunity  to escape.

The Bengaluru Central Crime Branch had named Congress leader and former city mayor Sampath Raj and former corporator Zakir Hussain in its preliminary charge sheet on the riots  that broke out in the city on 11 August.

Soon after his name figured in the FIR, Raj admitted himself in a hospital after he was allegedly testing Covid-positive on September 14 and got himself admitted to the Baptist  Hospital in Hebbal.

There he was receiving treatment at Baptist Hospital. The cops were waiting for his release to interrogate him in connection with the Bengaluru riot case.

The CCB sleuths had issued notice to the hospital to inform them about Raj's discharge on October 7, but the hospital authorities failed to communicate details of his release  to the police.

"ACP Venugopal had given a written notice to the hospital on Oct 7 itself to give information at the time when he will be discharged. But the hospital has discharged him without  giving any intimation," Bengaluru Joint Commissioner (Crime), Sandeep Patil said in his statement and added that the CCB has now issued a second notice to the hospital administration over negligence.

"Today ACP visited hospital and given another notice about the failure to give information," Patil added.