Abhijit Nath, NET Correspondent, Tripura

Two coronavirus-infected prisoners fled from Rajiv Gandhi Memorial District Covid Health Centre in Unakoti district in the wee hours of Monday.

The escapees were identified as Bikash Debbarma and Pranajit Malakar. According to police sources they broke through the window of the bathroom to escape from the hospital.

Both of them were admitted to the Covid center on August 6 after they tested positive for the deadly virus.

The escape of the two corona-infected under-trial patients has caused quite a stir in the hospital and the surrounding areas. A large number of police and TSR forces including OC Partha Munda of Kailashahar police station, Additional Superintendent of Police Alok Bhattacharya visited the hospital immediately.

The police administration is conducting a search operation in the entire sub-division and district to nab the escaped prisoners.

Bikash Debbarma is a resident of Dhumachhara area of Dhalai district. On the other hand, the convicted accused Prajit Malakar is a resident of the Radhanagar area under the Kumarghat sub-division.

Both of them were shifted from the district jail to District Covid Health Center at RGM District Hospital on August 6 for treatment.

The lack of security guards at the place where the prisoners were kept helped them escape.

Dr. Pritam Das, the nodal officer in charge of the District Covid Health Center, blamed the hospital’s infrastructural problems for the escape of the accused.

Earlier, two under-trial persons including Turkey’s ATM hacker had fled from GBP hospital here at Agartala. The police were clueless about how two persons managed to escape from the hospital in presence of the police. The Tripura police are yet to arrest the escapees.