Surat: A 21-year-old robbery accused escaped from the lock-up at Jahangirpura police station in the early hours of Tuesday before police tracked him to Varachha and arrested him within two hours.The escape occurred at 3.21am when a policeman took one suspect from the lockup to the washroom. Pradip alias Jadiyo Patil seized the opportunity and escaped from the police station premises.A complaint was lodged at Rander police station by Arvind Somabhai, an assistant police sub-inspector posted at Jahangirpura police station. Police launched a search and traced Patil to Varachha, where he was detained.“The policeman had taken another accused to the toilet, leaving the lockup door unlocked. Exploiting this situation, the accused had escaped,” a police officer said.Police said Patil was caught within two hours of his escape. Investigators tracked him using CCTV footage and local inputs.Patil was arrested on Saturday by the detection of crime branch in connection with a knifepoint robbery in the early hours of Friday. His alleged accomplice, Satyam Jha, was also arrested.According to police, both are history-sheeters with previous cases of mobile phone snatching and assault against them. Investigators said they had planned the robbery ahead of Diwali.The two allegedly took Rs 6,500 from a truck driver and another man on the Jahangirpura-Sayan-Hazira Ring Road while the driver was unloading sand from the truck.
