Man held for assault escapes custody, re-arrested in forest near Tirunelveli

Tirunelveli: A 30-year-old man detained for assaulting another person over a personal dispute escaped from police custody at the Palayamkottai police station here on Sunday before being re-arrested in a forest area near Manur in the early hours of Monday.The accused, Ayyappan from Tirunelveli town, was arrested in connection with an attack on Arumugam of the same locality.Police said the two wereat loggerheads after Ayyappan objected to Arumugam’s alleged closeness with his wife. The hostility eventually led to Ayyappan waylaying and assaulting Arumugam on Palayamkottai MarketRoad before fleeing the spot.Based on Arumugam’s complaint, Palayamkottai police registered a case and arrested Ayyappan.While being detained at the police station for questioning, Ayyappan allegedly diverted the attention of the personnel on duty and managed to slip out of the premises. The escape of an accused from inside the police station prompted senior officers to rush to the spot.Acting on the directions of Tirunelveli city police commissioner Deshmuk Shekar Sanjay, a team of police started tracing the accused, and intensive vehicle checks were conducted across the city.

Police said a tip-off helped them locate Ayyappan, who was hiding in a forested area near Manur. He was secured on Monday morning after a brief operation and brought back to the Palayamkottai police station.Further investigation is under way.