Cuttack: The tracking of calls emanating from the phones of three women helped the Odisha police track down the location of dreaded gangster SK Hyder who allegedly deceived a jail guard to stage his dramatic escape from his cabin at the SCB Medical in Cuttack on April 10, top sources in the Commissionerate Police said.
Hyder was intercepted in Sanga Reddy district of Telangana by special teams from the Odisha police and the local police on Thursday while he was escaping on a motorcycle, around 120 hours after his escape. Twin City police commissioner Saumendra Priyadarshi had told reporters that the tracking down of the fleeing mobster was made possible largely due to technical surveillance, though he did not throw much light on the police operation.
However, top police sources revealed that following Hyder’s escape, the police had mounted surveillance on several people, including three women (whose identities are yet to be disclosed). These were the people who the police learnt had actively abetted in the gangster’s escape plan.
In subsequent time, the police learnt that the women were in constant touch with Hyder over phone. Once the police began tracing the call receivers’ location, busting Hyder’s hideout became easy, sources said.
The three women are among the eight persons who are currently being questioned by the police to know more about their acquaintance with the gangster and role they played in the escape plan, sources added.
Meanwhile, former DGP, Odisha Prakash Mishra said though the police managed to arrest Hyder from Telangana, they must crack the conspiracy behind his escape.
“Police must find out how Hyder managed to escape. Who are the officers involved in it? how were there lapses in the security arrangements? how the criminal managed to get a cabin and who referred it? If all these things are found out, then we can term the arrest of Hyder is a success,” said Mishra.