COVID-19 positive escapee convict spotted near Jorebungalow

MP | 6 August 2020 | Darjeeling: The Covid-19 positive life convict who had escaped, was spotted near Jorebungalow, Darjeeling on Tuesday night. He however, managed to slip away again and still remains at large. 

The 54 year-old had been sentenced for life for murdering his wife in 2011. He had been released on parole for a month from the Jalpaiguri Central Jail on July 24 and was in home quarantine at his residence at Chotta Hatta village, Lhodama, Darjeeling. 

On July 31 he had tested Covid-19 positive. While being takAen to the Triveni Covid Hospital from Lhodhama on August 2, when the ambulance reached a forested area in between Jorebungalow and 3rd Mile, the convict asked the ambulance driver to stop as he wanted to defecate. 

He then gave the ambulance driver a slip and disappeared. A man hunt has been on since then. 

"He was spotted on Tuesday night. We are planning wider search operations on Thursday," stated Amarnath K, Superintendent of Police. 

On Tuesday night at around 9:30 pm a police patrolling party had spotted him at the 2nd Mile, Gaddikhan, 3km away from Jorebunglow. 

He had come up on the road from the forest below. Seeing the patrol party he immediately jumped back, ran into the forest and disappeared stated Mingma Lepcha, Officer in Charge, Jorebungalow police station. 

"The dense forest, difficult terrain coupled with heavy rain and storm was a major hindrance in further search operations at night. We used the public address system asking him to come up as he required treatment. We told him that we had food and water ready for him," stated Lepcha. On Wednesday morning a police team entered the dense forest. 

"We located a cave in which there were clear signs of a human being having used it as a shelter. We even saw footprints. We had approached from one side. On Thursday we will have to approach from different sides so that he can be surrounded thereby preventing escape" stated the OC. 

The spotting of the convict rules out chances of him having fallen prey to wild animals, the Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary being a home to diverse flora and fauna including leopards. 

The convict's neighbours claim that earlier he used to hunt in the dense jungles of Singhalila and is adept in surviving in the jungles for days altogether. Interestingly the 54-year-old man has become an internet sensation in the Hills with netizens eager to know about his whereabouts. 

He has also earned the name of "Rambo" on social media sites. 

(Courtesy & source- Millenium Post - http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/covid-19-positive-escapee-convict-spotted-near-jorebungalow-414788)