Kochi police deploy 15-member team to trace suspected Bangladeshi man

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

The search for a suspected Bangladeshi national, who allegedly escaped from the custody of the Palarivattom police on September 9, has been intensified, with the police deploying a 15-member team to trace the 31-year-old man. The team comprises cops from the Palarivattom station and members of the special operation groups from other stations, according to sources.

The police stepped up the search for Hadiulla Khan even as a couple, reportedly from Delhi, were booked for allegedly sheltering him in their house.

The couple —Shah Alam, 39, and Reshma, 35 — were arrested by the Palarivattom police on charges of harbouring an escaped offender.

The couple reportedly allowed Khan to stay in their rented house at Chalikkavattom on Thursday, despite knowing that he had escaped from police custody. The couple were later released on bail, the police said.

Police sources said they suspect Khan to be somewhere in the city. “We have intensified surveillance at all exit points. We had received information that he tried to board a bus to Aluva from the city on Friday evening. However, he was sent away as he did not have money for the bus ticket,” a city police officer said.

Khan, one of the six suspected Bangladeshi nationals arrested for allegedly staying in the country without valid travel documents, ran away from the Palarivattom station reportedly after climbing out through the window of a washroom.

The other five accused were produced in the district court and remanded in judicial custody. The accused, all reportedly natives of Morrelganj in Bagerhat district of Bangladesh, were apprehended from a rented house at Vennala. They have been booked for illegal entry under the Immigration and Foreigners Act.

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.