from daijiworld's special correspondent
With pics from Rajtilak Naik in Panaji

• Undertrial escapes
• Three of the four assailants nabbed later
• Search for the fourth is on

Panaji, Jan 6 (Saturday, 8-10 pm): In a daring act, four persons on Saturday released an undertrial after assaulting two police escorts on the National Highway at Bambolim in Goa, four km from here, police said.

The waylaid police vehicle

The injured cops

While three of the assailants were later arrested, undertrial Anil Jacob, being tried in a dacoity case in Ponda town, and fourth accused were yet to be traced, police said.

"The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon when the undertrial was being escorted back to prison from Goa Dental College at Bambolim where he underwent a check-up," SP D K Sawant said.

A group of four persons arrived at the scene and assaulted two constables escorting the undertrial, he said.

After a brief scuffle, all four managed to release the undertrial and fled in a jeep. However, the jeep overturned a few metres away, and all the five, including Jacob, rushed towards a nearby hill.

Following a combing operation, Panaji police managed to nab three persons while the undertrial and one more person are still untraceable.

"We have intensified our search," Sawant said.