VIJAYAWADA: Two police constables in Andhra Pradesh's Krishna district were suspended on Tuesday after a notorious criminal escaped from police custody.
Armed Reserve head constables Sugunakar Rao and Fredrick were suspended by Police Commissioner S. V. Rajasekhar Babu.
Notorious criminal, Battula Prabhakar, escaped from police custody on Monday evening, when he was being escorted back to Rajamahendravaram Central Jail after a court hearing in Vijayawada.
Prabhakar, aged around 35 years, escaped the police custody near Duddukuru village in Devarapalli mandal in East Godavari district at around 7.30 p.m. while still wearing handcuffs on one hand.
The incident triggered a major alert in the district. Police have formed 10 special teams to catch the undertrial.
Prabhakar, who is an accused in several robbery cases, was dressed in a white T-shirt and black track pants.
Authorities have appealed the public to share any information regarding his whereabouts. A reward has also been announced for credible leads that will lead to his capture.
Prabhakar is a criminal wanted in connection with over 100 burglary and robbery cases across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.
He was previously arrested in Visakhapatnam in 2020 and had escaped custody in March 2022 while being transported from court to jail. He was arrested again in February 2025 after a dramatic shootout with police at a pub in Hyderabad's Gachibowli.