Kanpur: Police said the identities of all eight accomplices have been established (File).
Eight people allegedly surrounded a police jeep and forcibly took away a wanted criminal while he was being taken to a police station in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur district on Wednesday, an official said.
The criminal, identified as Manoj Singh (33), having a long criminal history, was wanted in a case of murderous assault.
Kanpur's Additional Commissioner of Police Akash Kulhari said Singh had gone to a private guest house to attend a birthday party of a city office-bearer belonging to the ruling BJP.
On a tip-off, a police team reached the spot and arrested the criminal who was immediately taken to a police jeep, Mr Kulhari added.
Before the police party could leave, as many as eight persons arrived there and took Singh away from police custody and escaped from the scene.
The identities of all eight persons have been established with the help of video footage, the ACP said, while adding that a case under relevant sections of IPC is being registered.
Police teams have been formed to make early arrests of those who took the wanted criminal from police custody and stopped police from discharging their duties.
There were rumours that BJP workers surrounded the jeep and got freed a wanted criminal while being taken to the police station, said another senior official.
Additional DCP (South) Deepak Bhuker confirmed that the birthday party of a BJP city office-bearer was organised at the guest house but claimed neither the BJP leader was present there nor was he involved in the incident.