Suspect in low intensity blast flees police custody in JK

A man allegedly involved in a low-intensity blast inside a school in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda today escaped from police lock up, an officer said.

The accused was among the two detained by the special investigation team (SIT) of the state police after the blast inside the government school at Shiva village on Monday left principal Hoshyar Singh and another staff member Sharifa Begum injured.

After confirming that a crude explosive device was used to trigger the explosion, the SIT quizzed dozens of people before detaining Tanveer Ahmad, a class four school employee, and Mir Din last evening. They were lodged at Police Post Bhalla, the officer said.

Ahmad, however, escaped on the pretext of attending nature's call early morning, the officer added.

He came out of the lock up to relieve himself and fled from the washroom located outside the police post taking advantage of darkness, the officer said.

A hunt has been launched to nab him while an inquiry has been initiated against three police officials for dereliction of their duties, he added.

According to the SIT, the two accused wanted to kill the principal with the explosive device and had planted it under Singh's chair.