Two accused, accused of robbery and murder, escaped from an Odisha jail on Thursday. The two accused have been identified as Raja Sahni and Chandrakant Kumar, both residents of Bihar.

Two undertrials escaped from the high-security Choudwar Circle Jail in Odisha's Cuttack district by scaling the boundary wall, officials said on Friday (October 3, 2025). They were identified as Raja Sahni and Chandrakant Kumar, residents of Bihar.

Officials said the two were arrested in January for allegedly robbing a jewellery shop and killing two people in Jajpur district. Director General (Prisons and Correctional Services) Sushant Kumar Nath visited the jail on Friday and reviewed the circumstances under which the two prisoners escaped on Thursday night (October 2, 2025) while staff and inmates were celebrating Dussehra.

Jail's chief warder suspended for negligence.

"I have suspended the jail's chief warder and a warder for negligence in duty, and a case has been registered at the Choudwar police station. The DIG, Central Range, has been entrusted with the investigation," Nath told reporters. He said an investigation would be conducted to determine whether the escapees were supported by jail staff or received outside assistance.

This is how the prisoners planned their escape.

During the inspection, Nath found that the iron bars of the prisoners' cells had been cut. An employee said, "The two used a blanket as a rope to climb the wall." Meanwhile, prison officials, with the help of local police, have launched a search operation to arrest the prisoners.

Arrested on charges of robbery and murder

The two escaped suspects were arrested on January 4th at the Panda Jewellery Shop in Panikoili, Jajpur district, where they had opened fire during a robbery that resulted in the deaths of two people. Locals apprehended them in time and handed them over to the police.