Bangladeshi national flees police station through bathroom window; manhunt launched

Kochi: Palarivattom police have launched an intensive manhunt across Kochi after a 31-year-old Bangladeshi national, arrested for allegedly staying in the city without valid travel documents, escaped from police custody by climbing out through a bathroom window on Wednesday night.

The fugitive has been identified as Hadiulla Khan, who was among six Bangladeshi nationals arrested by the police during an early morning raid at a rented house in Vennala. The group was allegedly residing in Kochi without valid passports, visas or other legal travel documents.

According to the police, Khan escaped around 8.30 pm, while officers were processing the biometric details of the arrested group. During the fingerprinting procedure, Khan sought permission to use the washroom.

When he failed to return after several minutes, the officers checked the premises and found that a window pane in the bathroom had been removed. Khan had apparently climbed out through the opening and fled from the police station.

“Multiple special teams have since been deployed across the city to trace him. Police teams are checking railway stations, bus terminals and key exit routes, while efforts are also under way to determine whether he has managed to leave Kochi,” said police sources.

Khan and the other five Bangladeshi nationals were apprehended during the early morning raid at a rented house in Vennala. Preliminary police findings suggest that all six originated from Morrelganj in Bagerhat district of Bangladesh and had been staying in Kochi for nearly a year.

The group had reportedly been working as daily-wage labourers during their stay in the city.

The six included four men, a woman and two young children. Following Khan’s escape, the remaining five adults were produced before the district court and remanded in judicial custody.

Meanwhile, the police have launched a detailed investigation into how the group entered India and reached Kerala. Investigators are also examining the cross-border infiltration routes allegedly used by the Bangladeshi nationals and whether any local networks facilitated their accommodation and employment in Kochi.