Madhubani arson: 22 prisoners found, 5 still at large

The 27 prisoners were being taken to a local court on Friday when students enraged over the mysterious disappearance of their fellow mate pelted stones on the vehicle before setting it on fire after letting the prisoners go, police sources said today.

Raids were being carried out to nab the five absconding prisoners -- Pakistani national Hamidur Rahman (61), Satyanarayan Mahto, Jaishankar Kushiyet, Bechan Singh and Mahesh Kumar Paswan, they said.

Rahman was arrested on November 30, 2011, while he was roaming in the court premises in a suspicious manner and booked under relevant provisions of the law before being remanded to judicial custody, the sources said.

A Pakistani passport had been recovered from Rahman's possession, they said, adding that he had reportedly come to Madhubani district last year in search of his son Md Mukhtar (32) who was produced before the court on the day.