Birgunj, October 18:

Three members of an extortion racket fled from police custody this morning. The three, who are members of notorious Indian criminal Munna Sharma’s gang, managed to flee from custody at around 3 am.

Nand Kishor Yadav, 22, Sikendra Yadav, 20 and Dharm Dev Mahato broke open the window grill of the Harpatgunj zonal police office in Parsa district and escaped at around 3 am, said police. A month ago, another accused, Lekhuddin Miyan, of Pipra, had escaped from the police station in a similar fashion.

According to superintendent of police Jay Bahadur Chand, the three, who were arrested a month ago, had extorted over Rs 10 million from local traders and given the money to Munna Sharma in Motihari district in India.

Senior superintendent of police Ramesh Bajracharya said a police constable has been arrested on the suspicion of helping the three accused escape. He added that Armed Police Force inspector Rajendra Babu Regmi has also been put under probe.

Zonal deputy superintendent of police Bishnu Kunwar, civil deputy superintendent of police Shaur Bikram Rana and inspector Mohan Pariyar are part of the committee formed to investigate the incident.