4th floor toilet window, then down the pipe: Bhopal prisoner's escape bid foiled
A prisoner tried to escape from Bhopal's Hamidia Hospital by climbing down a pipeline from the fourth floor late on September 17, but was caught before he could leave the hospital premises.
The inmate, identified as Sachendra alias Sachin Rajput, stepped out through the window of a toilet on the fourth floor and began climbing down the pipeline. His disappearance was noticed soon after, following which hospital staff and police personnel launched a search. He was found hiding near the pipeline on the ground floor and was taken back into custody.
Rajput was lodged at the Central Jail in Narmadapuram, where he is serving a life sentence in a murder and extortion case. He had been admitted to Hamidia Hospital on September 15 for medical examination after claiming that he had swallowed a piece of tin.
He was initially taken to the district hospital in Narmadapuram for examination, but no foreign object was found inside his body. He was subsequently referred to Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal for further evaluation.
At around 3 am on September 17, Rajput went to the toilet on the fourth floor. He then climbed out through the window and used the pipeline to descend. When he did not return, a search was launched across the hospital premises.
After nearly an hour of searching, police found him near the pipeline on the ground floor and took him back into custody.
Following the incident, the local police registered a case against Rajput for attempting to escape and launched an investigation into the matter.
Additional Police Commissioner Shailendra Singh Chauhan said the prisoner had been brought to Hamidia Hospital from Narmadapuram and attempted to flee during the night. He said police were alerted and began searching the premises, following which the prisoner was caught and further action was initiated.
The incident has also raised questions over the security arrangements for prisoners admitted to Hamidia Hospital. Police are examining how Rajput managed to reach the fourth-floor toilet and attempt to climb down the building despite being under security.- EndsPublished By: Akash ChatterjeePublished On: Sep 20, 2026 08:10 IST
