Guwahati: Covid positive prisoner escapes from Kokrajhar hospital

GUWAHATI: A 27-year-old rape accused under trail Covid-19 positive prisoner, lodged in Kokrajhar jail, escaped from the isolation ward of Rup Nath Brahma (RNB) Civil Hospital in Kokrajhar district early morning on Wednesday. He is yet to be nabbed, sparking off fears of spread of the infection in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts.
He was asymptomatic and was admitted to the isolation ward of the Covid-19 hospital on July 24 after he was detected positive during a random swab test conducted at the district jail.
Superintendent of police, Kokrajhar district, Rakesh Raushan, said he was lodged in Kokrajhar Jail in connection with a case loged at Dhaligaon police station in Chirang district.
“The patient has escaped from the isolation ward after breaking the window. His clothes were found hanging from the wall of the hospital. Search operation is going on across the two districts,” Raushan said.
The Kokrajhar police chief also said a new case will be lodged against him under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and for escaping from police custody.
Chirang superintendent of police, Sudhakar Singh, said he hails from Santipara of Dhaligaon in Chirang district and is a rape accused. He was lodged with another accused of the case in Kokrajhar jail.
Two weeks ago, two Covid-positive prisoners in Guwahati Central Jail — who have been charged with kidnapping and theft cases — escaped from the Sonapur Covid care centre on the outskirts of city. Several others too attempted to flee the centre but were stopped by police.