LUCKNOW — A suspected militant of the Laskhar-e-Tayyaba escaped from a train near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh early yesterday while being taken from Kolkata to Jammu under police protection, officials here said. Police said Ali Ahmed, 28, jumped off the Sealdah-Jammu Tawi Express at around 4.30am somewhere between the Varanasi and Mughal Sarai stations. All trains slow down while traversing the 30km distance between the two stations for a technical reason and that is when Ahmed made his escape, said Varanasi Senior Superintendent of Police Navneet Sikera. "Our men have fanned out in different directions and we are doing our best to get him," Sikera said. Four Jammu and Kashmir policemen who were accompanying him from Kolkata to Jammu for a court case are being questioned.They have stated that they got off at Mughal Sarai for a cup of tea. Hinting at some connivance, Uttar Pradesh police said they could not have slept off in just 20 minutes and pointed out that all criminals are supposed to be handcuffed and chained to a policeman. This had probably not happened. "How could it be possible that the cops dozed off immediately after the train started from that station and the undertrial managed to jump off?" asked Sikera.
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