Murder accused COVID-19 patient escapes from hospital to buy alcohol

30-year-old murder accused, who was also a COVID-19 patient escaped from hospital to buy alcohol in Bengaluru. The coronavirus-infected accused was caught about seven hours later. According to a report in Times of India, the man was arrested on June 19 after he allegedly stabbed his friend. After his arrest, the accused was made to undergo the COVID-19 test. His report came positive on Tuesday following which he was immediately admitted to Victoria Hospital. Later, police officials who arrested the accused were put under quarantine.

On Wednesday morning, the man injured his hand and he was taken to another ward by nurses to treat the wound.Once out of his COVID ward, the murder accused pushed nurses and the security guard aside and ran away. The security guard deployed at the gate could not give a chase to the accused as he was wearing PPE suit. Later, the accused scaled the wall of Victoria Hospital and fled, said Dr Smitha Segu, Nodal Officer at Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute. However, his plan was derailed after his friend whom he had called for buying alcohol alerted police. The accused informed police he was addicted to alcohol and ran away to have a drink. Police have filed a case against the accused.