A 45-year-old man accused in a POCSO case escaped from police custody after allegedly jumping from a moving train while being brought to Kannur from Maharashtra in the early hours of Monday (June 29).
The accused, Sanjuranj Malhotra, a native of Pune, was arrested by the Kannur Town Police in Pune on Saturday (June 27) in connection with an alleged attempt to sexually assault a female student at a lodge near Kannur railway station.
According to the police, the accused escaped after jumping from the Pune-Ernakulam Superfast Express near Ratnagiri in Maharashtra.
Two Kannur police personnel were escorting the accused during the journey. Following the incident, the officers got down at Ratnagiri and launched a search. A police team led by Kannur Town Station House Officer has also left for Maharashtra to coordinate the search operations.
The police have intensified efforts to trace the absconding accused.
Published – June 29, 2026 08:14 pm IST
