PANJIM: Since his arrest, the gang-rape accused Ishwar Makhwana was undergoing treatment for tuberculosis and was admitted to the hospital at Taleigao on doctors’ insistence. 

Makhwana, and his two associates Sanjeev Dhananjay Pal and Ram Santosh Bhariya were sharing the same cell at Colvale Correctional Home from the day of their arrest in May. Sources said Makhwana is a TB patient and undergoing regular treatment at the T B Hospital. However, on November 27, the treating doctors advised the jail authorities that he be admitted to the hospital. 

“He was being taken for regular check-ups to the hospital. On November 27, the doctors at T B Hospital advised that he should be admitted as it seemed that his condition had dropped. The jail authorities gave a go-ahead as other prisoners should not be infected,” a reliable source in the Colvale jail told Herald. 

It was at around 5:30am that the Escort police team realized that Makhwana was not on his bed in ward number II of the hospital. The accused patient was allotted bed number 19 in the hospital ward while the guards were reportedly stationed outside. 

While the Deputy Inspector General of Police Rajesh Kumar was quick to issue suspension order of the errant personnel, various teams are formed to zero in on the hard-core criminal. The suspended head constable Rajendra Tamse and constables Ladu Raul, Sanjay Khandeparkar and Uday Naik are being probed separately into their whereabouts at the time of the incident.  

“We are treating the case on priority. No stone is left unturned to ensure the accused is arrested and taken back into police custody. Every evidence that could lead us to the accused is being gathered and all concerned will be interrogated,” one of the investigating team members said, adding that the top police brass is personally monitoring the investigation. "His escape route, escape plan and if at all he was helped by anyone to run away from the hospital are being investigated."

In his last crime, the Indore native along with his accomplices had raped the 20-year-old in a bid to extort money from her and her male friend. They had filmed the crime and demanded Rs 1 lakh from the two youth.