Patna, May 19 (IANS): An undertrial prisoner escaped from police custody in Bihar's Araria district on Wednesday by jumping into a tunnel drain.

The incident occurred in the town police station area in Araria district, and the local police are using an earth mover machine (JCB) in search of the accused.

The undertrial prisoner has been identified as Arshad Khan, son of Shahanshah Khan, a native of Kharaiya Basti village in Araria district. He was in custody on charges of bike theft.

Sources said that Khan knew the geography of the entire area well, which might have helped him escape from police custody.

According to an official of the town police station, the undertrial prisoners are taken to the district court for their hearings in a jail van. The accused probably seized the opportunity and jumped out of the jail van when it neared a speed-breaker. The police personnel present in the van chased Khan before he jumped into a drain.

The drain is very deep and stretches for almost 3 km from the Ma Kali temple to the Babaji Kutiya. The police believe that the prisoner may be still hiding in the drain, while local residents said that some people had fallen into it before and managed to come out unhurt.

"We have used an earth mover machine in search of the accused," said Pushkar Kumar, SDPO, Araria.