Cuttack, April 2: In a major breakthrough after six months, the Commissionerate Police have arrested an absconding inmate of Choudwar Circle Jail from Rishikesh. The accused, identified as Raja Sahani of Bihar, was nabbed by the Special Squad. Earlier, another absconding prisoner, Madhukant Rana, had been arrested about a month ago.

The two accused were earlier arrested in connection with a robbery and murder case at Panikoili market in Jajpur and were lodged in Choudwar Circle Jail. However, on October 2, during Durga Puja immersion in Cuttack, they managed to escape by scaling the jail boundary wall, taking advantage of the festive rush. The incident had sparked widespread criticism over security lapses.

Taking the matter seriously, police launched a massive manhunt to trace the fugitives. A total of 26 personnel were deployed and divided into six teams, which conducted raids both within and outside the state. The teams carried out extensive searches across multiple states, targeting key locations to track down the accused.