PC: tv9hindi

In a bizarre incident in Khachrod, Madhya Pradesh, a robbery suspect managed to escape from police custody while the officer responsible for his security was reportedly getting a massage at a spa.

In fact, on December 25, a robbery was reported in Nagda town of Ujjain district in Madhya Pradesh. Five armed robbers barged into the premises of the Shiv Baba liquor company, held the employees hostage at gunpoint and fled with cash worth Rs 18 lakh. Subsequent investigation led to the arrest of Rohit Sharma, identified as the main accused. 

Sharma was detained and lodged in the Khachrod sub-jail on January 5. However, his custody took an unexpected turn when he was given medical aid due to an alleged leg injury. At 11 am on Tuesday, jail guards Rajesh Srivastava and Nitin Dalodia took Sharma to the Khachrod government hospital for treatment. As per standard protocol, the accused should have been sent back to jail immediately after medical aid. However, Sharma did not return until 6 pm, raising concerns and triggering an internal investigation. 

Officers soon found discrepancies in the details given by the two jail guards. This led to an immediate examination of the hospital's CCTV footage. The recordings showed that Sharma had left the hospital between 12 pm and 12:30 pm.

Further investigation revealed even more bizarre details. Instead of taking Sharma back to jail, the two guards allegedly took him to a spa in Ratlam, about 30 km away. Sharma also got himself a massage before he fled from there. The guards were reportedly giving themselves massages when he escaped. 

One video shows the suspect quickly leaving a massage room, while he was seen wearing a T-shirt before fleeing through a door.

Following a formal complaint by Khachrod jail superintendent Surendra Singh Ranawat, the police registered a case against the two jail guards and Rohit Sharma under sections 262 and 264 of the Indian Penal Code (BNS).

According to Ujjain Superintendent of Police (SP) Pradeep Sharma, both the jail guards have been suspended. An FIR has been filed against them for helping in the escape.

With Sharma still missing, several police teams have been deployed to nab him.