Cheque bounce convict escapes police custody; court clerk suspended

Roorkee: A 35-year-old man convicted in a cheque bounce case escaped from police custody moments after being sentenced by a local court on Friday, prompting a search operation and the suspension of a police court clerk.Neeraj Goswami was sentenced to one year in prison under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act for issuing a Rs 2.5 lakh cheque that was dishonoured due to insufficient funds.Police said Goswami fled after being taken into custody by a police court clerk and escorted out of the courtroom. He managed to evade custody and escape from the court premises.Following the incident, the district police administration suspended the concerned clerk with immediate effect and ordered an inquiry into the lapse. SP (Rural) Shekhar Chandra Suyal has been directed to conduct the probe.Police teams carried out raids at Goswami's residence and possible hideouts in his native village, Rahmatpur, near Kaliyar, but his whereabouts remain unknown."We have suspended the court clerk and deployed multiple teams to trace the convict. He will be arrested soon," SP Suyal said.