KHYBER: A murder suspect escaped from the police custody in Jamrud on Monday· Sources in Jamrud said that unidentified persons riding a motorcycle whisked away the murder suspect, Zakria, when the police were takinghimto JamrudCivilHospital for medical checkup.

The police said that a search operation was underway to locate and re-arrest Zakriya, who was arrested on murder charges last year.

The sources in Ghundi area said that Zakriya, in his early 20s, had amputated hand of a local resident for his alleged involvement in a theft.

They said that the resident had died due to excessive bleeding. The police had arrested Zakriya on charges of murder, and he had also confessed to amputating the handof the deceased for his alleged involvement in a theft case.

District police officer Salim Abbas Kulachi said that the officials escorting the suspect had committed negligence. He said that a few of the jail staff members were also involved in facilitating the escape of the murder suspect, and they would be included in the investigations.-Correspondent