A young couple, who were arrested on house burglary charges, escaped from police protection at the Government Taluk Hospital in Arakkonam near Ranipet in the early hours on Wednesday.
Police said the suspects — K. Sugan, 25, and his wife S. Tamilselvi, 22, residents of Paranchi village near Ranipet town — were arrested on Tuesday for house break-in charges where the couple broke the door of the house in Minnal village near Arakkonam town. They found only an ATM card. The couple withdrew ₹48,000 in the nearby ATM kiosk. The victim, K. Susheela, 70, filed a complaint with the Arakkonam Taluk police.
Based on the complaint, the couple was arrested and were taken to the Government Taluk Hospital in Arakkonam for routine medical check-up. They were taken by a five-member police team, including a woman constable, headed by Narayanaswamy, sub-inspector. The couple, who were not handcuffed, were admitted to the Out-Patient (OP) ward for check up. Around 6 a.m, the couple escaped from the ward.
Subsequently, three special teams were formed to search for them in Chittoor, Chennai and Katpadi. Another team searched for the couple in Arakkonam. Around noon, the couple was nabbed from their Paranchi village. Later, they were lodged in the jail. An inquiry has also been ordered on the police team that took the couple to the hospital, police said.
