Rape accused escapes police custody in Sikkim; manhunt underway

A 24-year-old man, who was in police custody on charges of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old minor, escaped from police custody in Sikkim's Rangpo on Wednesday, police said.

The accused, who was arrested on May 27 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, managed to escape from the Rangpo police station on the pretext of using the restroom, a police officer said.

The Station House Officer (SHO) of Rangpo police station, Dichen Tshomo, said that the accused escaped from custody around 2.30 am after injuring a policeman.

A criminal case has been registered against the absconding accused under Sections 262 and 132 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, she said, adding that a manhunt is currently underway.

"We have all the required inputs and will arrest him soon," she said.