Thrissur: Balamurugan, a notorious thief accused in numerous criminal and theft cases, escaped from police custody on Monday night. He was an inmate of Viyyur Central Jail. The incident occurred around 9.45 pm while he was being brought back to the jail after being handed over temporarily to the Tamil Nadu Police for a case investigation. The escape took place near the Viyyur Central Jail premises. Police have launched an extensive search operation across Thrissur city to trace him.

Balamurugan is an accused in 53 cases across Kerala and Tamil Nadu. He had been handed over to the Tamil Nadu Police for one of these cases. While being brought back to the Viyyur Jail, he reportedly asked to stop the police vehicle to relieve himself, and in that brief moment, he gave the officers the slip by jumping over a nearby wall and fleeing the scene.