Has Dreaded Odisha Gangster Sheikh Hyder Escaped To Bangladesh?

Cuttack: Reel life often shows police in cahoots with criminals to facilitate escape from prisons and out of border to seek relief from justice. However, the dramatic escape of notorious gangster Sheikh Hyder right under the nose of cops has showcased the much-talked-about alleged Khaki-mafia nexus playing out in real life.

While it is alleged that a ‘major conspiracy’ was hatched to help the dreaded gangster escape from police custody during treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack a few days ago, it has now come to fore that the cops guarding Hyder were staying in a hotel in the district.

A constable named Md Mousim, who was deployed to guard Hyder, had reportedly booked two rooms in a hotel at Manglabag area on March 23, and around eight cops checked in later.

Speaking to OTV, a staffer of Ahalya Hotel said that two rooms were booked in the hotel and a total of eight cops checked in on the day of the booking. However, one room was vacated by four cops the very next day while the other police personnel are still staying in the other room.

“We don’t know the reason of their stay here. On being asked during the booking of the rooms, we were told by them that they are cops from Sambalpur and had come to Cuttack for some medical reasons,” said the hotel staff.

Meanwhile, some believe that Hyder has trespassed into Bangladesh but police is yet to confirm such claim.

Police on Tuesday arrested one of the associates of Hyder named Yakub. It is believed that he might have a big role in staging the gangster’s dramatic escape from the SCB Hospital. Later in the day, the Cuttack City JMFC has allowed Manglabag police to take Yakub on seven-day remand from today.