Tamil Nadu man accused of raping UK tourist goes 'missing' in Goa prison

An accused of raping a 48-year-old British national in the beach village of Canacona in 2018 went missing from the North Goa's Colvale Central Jail. Prison authorities have launched a search operation for inmate Ramchandra Yellappa.

Panaji: Prison authorities at North Goa's Colvale Central Jail on Tuesday launched a massive search operation, after a 31-year-old undertrial accused of raping a 48-year-old British national in the beach village of Canacona in 2018, went missing.

"We have launched a search operation for inmate Ramchandra Yellappa. We believe he is still hiding in the prison complex," a spokesperson for the Colvale prison facility said.

This is not Yellappa's first attempt to flee from custody. In 2019, he had dodged a police escort party and had escaped while he was being ferried to court for trial.

Yellappa, who is a native of Tamil Nadu, was subsequently arrested in Bengaluru.

Last month, another undertrial Hemraj Bharadwaj, who was being tried for a narotics-related offence, had also escaped from the same prison and continues to be untraceable.

(IANS)