Kozhikode police is on the lookout for a Malappuram native man after he escaped from a COVID-19 quarantine centre for prisoners. Kondotty native Mujeeb Rahman,  an accused in many criminal cases including raping an aged woman, jumped off from the quarantine centre on Sunday night.

According to officials of Nadakkavu police station in Kozhikode, Mujeeb was a remand prisoner, accused of raping a Mukkam native woman and stealing her gold ornaments. He was brought to Kozhikode by the police, as part of an investigation in another theft case. But he jumped off from a covid quarantine centre in East Hill, where remand prisoners are lodged before admitting in prison.

In July, a Mukkam native woman, a senior citizen, who was a passenger in his auto-rickshaw, was abducted and raped. After throwing off the woman in an abandoned spot, Mujeeb allegedly raped her and stole her gold ornaments. He was arrested the same month by the Mukkam police station officials. The Mukkam police had then found out that even the auto rickshaw he rode was also a stolen one.

“Not only the Mukkam rape case, he is accused in another sexual assault case and many robbery cases as well. He was a remand prisoner, but since he had multiple cases registered in many police stations, police used to take him into custody for questioning. It was on one such probe, he was brought to Kozhikode. After presenting him in court, the man was supposed to be jailed, but due to COVID-19, he was sent to the quarantine centre,” said an official of Nadakkavu police station.

The centre in East Hill from where he jumped off, was a hostel converted into a quarantine facility. According to police, officers including a jail warden were on duty when Mujeeb went missing. It was on Sunday night that the officials discovered that he had broken open the door of the room.

“There is a small bushy spot in the backside of the hostel. It is assumed that he jumped the wall through this,” said the official. Though his COVID-19 test was done, the results are not out yet.

Watch visuals of Mujeeb while he was arrested: