Daijiworld Media Network – Kasargod (SP)

Kasargod, Jun 15: Notorious criminals, T H Riaz (26) from Periyatadka from Poinachi near here, and Jayanand (35), a resident of Mala in Trissur, escaped from Kannur central prison on the night of Sunday June 13. The incident came to light on Monday.

Riaz is involved with 39 cases of theft and robbery in Kerala and Kasargod, and has been convicted in a few of them. Jayanand faces charges in 17 criminal cases including three double murders and a number of rape cases. Both of them were lodged in cell No. 10, and they made good their escape by bending the steel rods of the windows, which came to light on Monday morning.

The Trissur court had awarded death sentence to Jayanand, but the High Court had reduced the punishment to life imprisonment. He used to break the skulls of his victims with heavy objects before robbing them.

Even though the policemen immediately spread their net by fanning policemen to railway stations, bus stands, airports and junctions on national highways, the two have remained elusive. Riaz and another under-trial criminal named Rafiq, had escaped on May 3 from B C Road Junction in Vidyanagar, while the policemen were taking them back to Kannur jail after producing them in a court here. However, the local people had helped the policemen escorting them to arrest them again.