A youth identified as Lalit Phukan, who was arrested on Saturday along with a woman on charges of duping a person of a large sum of money for giving government contract, fled late last night while being taken for a health check up by the police to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH) here.
A police source said that that Pranab Baruah, a havildar, has been suspended in this connection.
28-year-old Lalit of Nakachari along with Anima Dutta of Kotoky Pukhuri here were arrested for allegedly providing fake contract orders to the owner of Ramdhenu Enterprises at Tarajan and taking Rs, 1.30 lakh from him for the same.
Lalit jumped off from the police vehicle in front of Jorhat Police station and fled at about 11 pm while being taken to the hospital by three policemen.
This is the third incident in Jorhat in which persons arrested have managed to escape from police custody.
On May 20, one Papu Singh who was arrested on charges of being involved in theft of batteries from vehicles escaped from the lock-up of the Jorhat Police Station after giving the slip to the guards.
On February 26 this year an under trial prisoner of Central Jail, Jorhat, had fled from the District and Sessions Court premises while he was brought to the Court by police.
Meanwhile, Prasanta Neog, 30, son of late Khagen Neog of Tekela gaon, under Pulibor police station has been apprehended last night by a joint team of Rowrah police outpost and Pulibor police station in a case of extortion given in the name of ULFA (I) to one Nagen Ganjam, Mohori of Sangsua T.E. under Rowriah police outpost.
Jorhat SP Vaibhav Nimbalkar said that police also recovered one .22 pistol, copy of extortion letter with fake ULFA seal from him.
A case has already been registered in Jorhat PS vide Case no. 1624/2019 under section 387 of IPC.