A day after Dhasvanth, accused in the murder and sexual assault of seven-year-old Hasini, and a suspect in the murder of his mother, was arrested, he has escaped from police custody.
According to a top police official, Dhasvanth was handcuffed and going to the toilet in Mumbai's Vile Parle area near Hotel Satellite when he escaped from custody.
The incident reportedly took place at 4:30pm on Thursday. While the accused's escort was eating lunch at a hotel, Dhasvanth reportedly pushed other policemen and made an escape.
The Mumbai Police has been put on high alert and all local police stations and DCPs have been asked to keep an eye out for Dhasvanth in their jurisdiction.
23-year-old Dhasavanth was arrested by a special team of the Chennai Police on Wednesday in Mumbai.
The three-member team had tracked him to Mumbai and nabbed at the Chembur Race Course in Mumbai. This tracked him down after they realised that he had a weakness for betting on horse races.
He had gone missing last Saturday after his mother – 45-year-old Sarala – was found bludgeoned to death at their Kundrathur home in Chennai. He had gone missing along with her jewellery.
The police had got statements from two history sheeters James and Daviid, whom Dhasvanth had spent time with in jail. They had allegedly helped him pawn his mother’s jewellery. And while this has led police to further suspect Dhasvanth's role in the murder, one investigating official told TNM that it is hard to believe that he would kill his own mother.
Police had suspected that Dhasvanth had taken a long-distance train from Chennai Central and have been on his tail for the past four days.
According to Deccan Chronicle, Dhashvanth's father has accused him of murdering his own mother, because he was irate that his mother refused to give him money.
23-year-old Dhasvanth has been out on bail in the Hasini case since September. He procured bail on a technical ground after his father went to court claiming that the Chennai police cannot impose Goondas Act on him. In February this year, 7-year-old Hasini was found murdered and Dhasvanth was suspected of sexually assaulting her and then killing her.
The trial in the Hasini murder case was set to begin at a court in Chengalpet on Tuesday. While the magistrate was on leave on Tuesday, the case was adjourned on Wednesday as Dhasvanth was missing in the case.
A few days ago, Dhasvanth had threatened Hasini's father and told him that if he appeared in court, he would kill his son.
Read: Tracing Dhasvanth: One man, two murders, and a city in search of answers