Sunday, May 29 2005 10:58 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Midnapore (West Bengal): A life convict, who was recently moved from Presidency jail to the Midnapore central jail in Midnapore for allegedly helping American Center attack kingpin Aftab Ansari, has escaped.

Debasish Chakraborty, 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, West Midnapore police super Ajoy Nanda said.

An iron plate and an iron rod were found in his cell, the jail superintendent, Panchanan Biswas, said.

The State's I-G (Prisons), Jaideb Chakraborty, has ordered a probe.

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.

Three jail wardens had been suspended and all police stations in the district had been alerted, Nanda said.

Chakraborty was sentenced to death by a lower court for killing his paramour in 1990. The High Court later commuted the death sentence to a life term. While in Presidency jail he reportedly helped smuggle in a cellphone inside the jail, which was used by Aftab to get in touch with his gang in Dubai.