VADODARA, Nov 4: It was the same sucker punch again. Notorious criminal Rafiquddin alias Gai Ghanibbai Shaikh escaped from police custody in Anand on Thursday morning by knocking out the escort party with drug-laced bhajia and tea.Rafiquddin, along with another undertrial, Azimuddin, had been taken to Anand Civil Court in connection with a loot case. As they had to appear before the court at 11.30 a.m, they were made to wait in the court compound where they had reached at 10 a.m.According to Anand City police, while constables Jaswantsinh Baria and Takhatsinh Natwarsinh refused the proferred `refreshments' because of their fast, assistant sub-inspector Kaljibhai Punabhai, head constable Kantibhai Khushal and constable Manilal Gurji had the bhajia and tea and became unconscious within minutes.The two criminals then scaled the boundary wall of the court after pushing aside the two remaining constables. However, Azimuddin was overpowered by a constable of the Anand district police, while Rafiquddin managed to escape.According to an FIR lodged in the Anand City Police Station, a T-shirt-wearing youth boarded the ST bus along with the undertrials and escort party at the Main Bus Stand in Vadodara. The same man brought tea on the instructions of Rafiq. The undertrials refused to have bhajia or tea saying they had taken gutkha.All the three drugged constables were rushed to the Anand Civil Hospital. After preliminary treatment, they were shifted to SSG Hospital. Their condition is said to be stable.This is the second incident of escape of undertrials from police custody during the last one week. One Farooq Chapra had escape from police custody on the pretext of urinating when he was being escorted back to the Baroda Central Jail. However, he was arrested the same evening.Commissioner of Police J Mahapatra, when contacted, said he had ordered departmental inquiry into the matter.It may be recalled that Raju Rohida had used the same technique to escape from police custody not very long ago.
