Sunday, May 29 2005 15:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: Debasish Chakravorty, a life convict who allegedly helped American Centre attack kingpin Aftab Ansari, was arrested from South 24-Parganas district this morning (May 29, 2005) barely hours after he escaped from the Midnapore Jail.

''Yes, Debasish has been arrested from a place in South 24-Parganas district. He is being taken back to West Midnapore and will be produced in court,'' Inspector-General (Prisons) Joydeb Chakraborty told PTI.

Debasish was sentenced to death by a lower court for killing his paramour in 1990, but the Calcutta High Court later commuted the death sentence to a life term.

While in Presidency Jail in Kolkata, Debasish reportedly helped smuggle in a cell phone inside the jail, which was used by Afrab Ansari to get in touch with his gang in Dubai.

The escapee was shifted to Uluberia jail in Howrah district from the Presidency jail and then again to the Midnapore central jail as the authorities got wind of his plans to escape.

Debasish yesterday (May 28, 2005) dug a hole in the wall of his cell and escaped through the window of the toilet before scaling the 18-foot boundary wall, according to West Midnapore police superintendent Ajay Nanda.

An iron plate and an iron rod were found in his cell, the jail superintendent, Panchanan Biswas, said. Three jail wardens had been suspended, Nanda said.