Convict in six robberies disappears from prison

Panadura group corr.

PANADURA: A notorious gang robber convicted in six robbery cases by the Panadura Magistrate escaped from the court cell on Wednesday night.

Magistrate Thusara Rajasinghe was surprised to see the convict Abdul Rahuman missing when he visited the court premises in the night and inspected the court cell.

The Panadura Magistrate passed on Wednesday a 10 year sentence on Rahuman when he pleaded guilty to the charges of several robberies of cash and jewellery in six cases filed by the Panadura Police.

Prison guards had taken the accused into the court cell and locked him up. However, the accused had crept into the ceiling of the court roof and waited until 7.30 pm without anyone's knowledge.

At 5 pm, the prison guard took away, the other accused to the Kalutara prison while Rahuman was hiding inside the ceiling. This is not the first time hardcore criminals have escaped from the court cell.

On Wednesday around 7.30 pm, a watcher had seen a person on the top of the roof of the building and informed police. When police arrived Rahuman had fled using a rope to get down from the roof.

A pair of slippers and a rope were found when the Panadura Magistrate inspected the premises with the Panadura police around 8.00 p.m.

On Thursday morning, the Magistrate inquired from the prison guards on duty on Wednesday and inquired as to how the accused escaped. But nobody was able to provide a proper answer.