Bhubaneswar: Madhukant Rana, one of the two under trial prisoners who dramatically escaped from Choudwar Circle Jail was living under the fake identity of Basu Pandey in Vrindavan, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. It was informed by police commissioner S Dev Datta Singh after the UTP was arrested by a special team of Commissionerate police.
The Commissioner said that the 24-year-old accused, a resident of Rampur under Gouran police station in Bihar, was working as staff at a guest house in an ashram in Vrindavan, blending in among devotees to evade detection.
Rana, son of Rajendra Singh, was originally arrested in connection with Panikoili PS Case relates to a dacoity with murder and illegal arms possession during a jewelry shop robbery in Jajpur district that claimed lives. After being remanded to judicial custody and lodged at Choudwar Jail (transferred from Sub-Jail, Jajpur Road) on February 1, 2025, Rana escaped alongside co-accused Raja Sahani.
The duo scaled the boundary wall under cover of darkness during Durga Puja festivities, exploiting lapses amid celebrations. A case under Sections 262/3(5) BNS was registered.
The escape triggered an intensive, multi-state manhunt supervised by the DGP, and CP Bhubaneswar-Cuttack. Teams pursued leads across Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Nagaland, Karnataka, and beyond, facing challenges like frequent identity changes, avoidance of electronic trails, and movement away from expected areas.
Sustained technical and human intelligence, interstate coordination, and discreet surveillance led to the breakthrough. Reliable inputs pointed to Vrindavan.
A special team of 26 officers, headed by Addl DCP Khirasagar Nayak (Cuttack UPD), coordinated with Kotwali Police Station, Vrindavan. An undercover squad stayed at the guest house, with personnel in civilian disguise maintaining watch. Suspicion grew when Rana himself escorted a decoy guest to a room.
After thorough verification and confirming no co-escapee was present, he was arrested on February 13, 2026.Produced before the Mathura Court, Rana was granted transit remand for appearance in Cuttack. Investigations continue to trace aides who sheltered him and to nab the remaining fugitive, Raja Sahani.
