Jailbreak: Four COVID-positive inmates escape from hospital; three held again in UP's Bulandshahr

BULANDSHAHR: Four COVID-positive jail inmates, who were taken to a hospital for treatment, ran away on Sunday evening in this Uttar Pradesh district but the police managed to nab three of them, officials said.

According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Santosh Kumar Singh, the four accused -- three from the Khurja Nagar police station and one from the Kotwali Rural police station -- were sent to jail on December 19.

All four tested positive for COVID-19 the same day and were sent to the L2 hospital in Khurja Nagar, the officer said, adding that police were deployed outside their ward.

Around 7 pm on Sunday, the prisoners broke open the staircase lock and managed to flee, he said.

As soon as the matter came to light, a report was lodged and a hunt for the absconding prisoners launched, the SSP said.

The police managed to nab three of them while the search is on for the fourth accused, he added.