Thodupuzha: An accused, who escaped from the lockup at the Thodupuzha police station, drowned after jumping into the river that flows nearby. The deceased has been identified as Shafi K Ibrahim, 29, of Kulangattu House at Kolani in Parakkadavu near Thodupuzha.
The incident occurred around 9 am in the town on Friday. Shafi was taken into custody by the Thodupuzha police from Manakkad junction at around 8 am in a case of assaulting a security guard at a bar on Thursday night for not giving liquor after the regular hours of the establishment.
Shafi, who was taken into custody, was put inside a lockup but the cop apparently forget to lock it. Sensing an opportunity Shafi took flight but the cops on duty gave chase to him. In panic he jumped into the nearby Thodupuzha river, a tributary of the Muvattupuzha river.
According to eyewitnesses, Shafi, who knows swimming, swam across the river half a kilometre before disappearing. He might have drowned after being caught in a whirlpool.
The fire brigade from Kalloorkad fished out the body as the Scuba team had gone to the Mullaperiyar Dam site. Before searching the body, the water level in the Thodupuzha river was controlled first by lowering the shutters of the Malankara Dam.
Shafi was involved in many theft and drug trafficking cases, police stated.
Meanwhile, Idukki District Police Superintendent R Karuppa Swamy said that there occurred a lapse on the part of the police and action would be taken against the erring police personnel.
