A snatcher from Meerut, Md Faizan Khan, 24, who was arrested from near Big Bazaar on Wednesday with stolen phones, escaped from police custody on Thursday afternoon.

Khan, who escaped from Ranchi Sadar Hospital on the pretext of having to urgently answer nature’s call, left his police escorts red-faced.

A policeman admitted the incident had come as a big embarrassment for personnel deputed to escort the accused for a medical test before the latter’s production before court for legal action.

“The accused had expressed an urgent need to defecate, he’d said he would soil his pants if not allowed. But he took the chance and escaped,” the policeman said. “From nowm policemen would think twice before trusting if an accused in their custody came up with a similar plea.”

Officer-in-charge of Gonda police station, Awadhesh Thakur, confirmed Khan’s escape saying a fresh effort had started for his re-arrest.

“The incident is true. We are trying to arrest the accused again,” Thakur said hurriedly when contacted by The Telegraph.

Asked how the accused could escape, Sadar DSP Deepak Pandey said Khan fled around 12.45pm.

“A sub-inspector was busy in documentation work with a doctor when the accused expressed his urgency to defecate to the havildar and constable present. The havildar and constable did not get any proper place nearby on the hospital campus and so took Khan beside a wall of the campus and stepped a little aside. The accused managed to open the rope of his handcuffs and escaped by scaling a 6-foot-high boundary wall,” DSPPandey said.

He added that the two cops appeared to have been tricked by Khan.

On how the accused could have opened the rope of his handcuffs in the presence of two policemen and so quickly, DSP Pandey said: “That aspect is being probed.”

On whether any action would be taken against the escorting cops, city SP Saurabh Kumar said: “Action will be taken after a proper inquiry.”