An undertrial escaped from the prison in Bailhongal on Thursday night. Khadir Rajesab, 34, undergoing trial in a criminal case, escaped from jail. He used duplicate keys or a stolen key to open the front gates of the jail, officers said.
Additional SP Mahaning Nandagavi visited the spot.
The accused was facing six serious criminal charges including murder, committing caste atrocities, and rioting.
The accused is likely to have stolen the keys from the staff without their knowledge and escaped, police said.
A part of the jail is being renovated and some inmates have been shifted to Belagavi jail. Several construction works are going on. The Bailhongal jail does not have proper CCTV camera installations, a department sources said.
Devendra Koni, in-charge jailor, said that the police brought the accused to Bailhongal jail two weeks ago. “We have intimated the district police and they are taking action,” he said.