5 accused of double murder escape from Kopargaon jail

In a daring escape, five men accused in a 2011 double-murder case broke out of their cells and escaped from a jail in Kopargaon, Ahmednagar district, on Monday night. The police seem to have no clue about their whereabouts.

The five, Papya alias Salim Khawaj Sheikh, and his associates Sagar Kale, Vishal Jadhav, Vikas Chauhan and Aba Landge, were booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), 1999, and were scheduled to be produced in court on Tuesday.

According to the jail authorities, the bars of the cells in which the accused were lodged were found broken.

They said the incident happened at about 10.30pm, but did not explain when it was discovered that the men had escaped.

They said they suspected a member of another gang to be involved in the jail escape.

The five were charged with the murder of Pravin Gondkar and Rachit Patni. Gondkar and Patni, both in their early 20s, were found dead on the Pimpalwadi road in June 2011.

They have a previous record of murder, and other crimes like arson, extortion and illegal possession of weapons.