Cuttack: Sallu alias Yakub Khan, a close aide of notorious gangster Sheikh Hyder who staged a dramatic escape from his guarded ward in a leading hospital in the city on Saturday, surrendered before the Chauliaganj Police Station on Monday.
The Odisha Police were on the lookout for Sallu following Hyder’s escape from the SCB Medical College and Hospital right under the nose of security personnel.
According to sources, Sallu is an old aide of Hyder and he is said to have provided ‘Biriyani’ to the gangster at the hospital on the night the latter escaped.
“Sallu has promised to cooperate in the massive operation launched by the Commissionerate Police to trace the escapado gangster,” claimed a police official.
The dreaded gangster had escaped from ward No 5 of the surgery ward of SCB after allegedly overpowering an APR guard who was on his security duty. He was initially lodged in Sambalpur circle jail and later shifted to SCB a few days back after undergoing initial treatment for some illness in VIMSAR, Burla.
A special team has been formed comprising SPs of Kendrapara, Jajpur, Cuttack DCP and other senior officials to nab the dreaded criminal.
However, police are still clueless about the whereabouts of Hyder even 36 hours of his escape under doubtful circumstances.
Odisha Police officials are in touch with senior officials in the bordering states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal police and mounted efforts to track down the gangster by collating intelligence inputs.
As per the instructions of the Director General of Police (DGP), five to six teams have fanned out to different parts of the State to go on the gangster’s trail. Police are keeping a close surveillance at airports, railway routes, stations, road routes and bus terminals. CCTV footage has also been examined and the security guard on duty is also being questioned to check the veracity of his claims on the circumstances leading to the escape of the gangster.
Earlier on Sunday, the Odisha Police administration suspended six police personnel including one havildar and five constables deployed on security of the gangster at SCB medical College.