WATCH | Father-son duo outsmarts Haryana police custody:CCTV shows accused fleeing with police vehicle moments after refuelling

A father and son arrested in a fraud case escaped from Haryana Police custody in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district on Wednesday after driving away in the police vehicle during a stop at a petrol pump. The incident took place at a fuel station near Garoth Chowkdi. Following a roadblock set up by police, the duo abandoned the vehicle in a nearby forest and fled. A search operation has been launched to trace them. Father was travelling with the accused According to police, the Gurugram Police in Haryana had arrested the son from Pithampur in Dhar district in connection with a cheating case registered under Section 420. After the arrest, the police team was taking him to Gurugram by road. The accused’s father was also travelling in the same police vehicle when the pair managed to escape. See pictures related to the incident Accused drives away in police vehicle during fuel stop The escape took place on Wednesday when the Haryana Police vehicle stopped at a Nayara petrol pump near Garoth Chowkdi in Mandsaur district. While the police personnel stepped out to refuel the vehicle and use the washroom, the accused, who was seated in the rear, seized the opportunity. He quickly moved to the driver’s seat, with his father also inside the vehicle, and drove away within seconds. Delay at petrol pump slowed down chase The dramatic escape caused panic at the petrol pump. The police team immediately tried to pursue the vehicle and attempted to stop a passing car for assistance. However, petrol pump staff briefly stopped the officers because the fuel payment had not been completed in the confusion. After identifying themselves, the police personnel resumed the chase. CCTV footage of the incident has surfaced, showing the accused speeding away in the police vehicle while officers run after them in an attempt to stop the escape. Police set up roadblocks across the area Soon after the escape was reported, Garoth Police launched a large-scale operation under the supervision of police station in-charge Balveer Singh Yadav. Roadblocks were set up at key locations and surveillance was intensified on all possible escape routes. Faced with increasing police pressure, the accused were unable to travel much further. Vehicle abandoned, accused escape into forest The father-son duo eventually abandoned the police vehicle on Khardawada Road near the Barahmasi junction before fleeing into a nearby forest. Police later recovered the vehicle, but the accused managed to evade arrest. Multiple escape routes under scanner Garoth police station in-charge Balveer Singh Yadav said, “The area where the accused fled has several exit points, including both road and water routes, which they are believed to have used to escape”. He added, “Joint teams of Haryana Police and Garoth Police are continuing search operations to trace and arrest the absconding father and son”.