Rogue cops helped serial killer flee

Shyam alias Raja Reddy, charged with murdering 29 people, confesses cops took money for letting him escape from escort vehicle three years ago

Shyam alias Raja Reddy, charged with murdering 29 people, confesses cops took money for letting him escape from escort vehicle three years ago

Serial killer Shyam alias Raja Reddy confessed on Tuesday how he escaped from a police van three years ago with some help from cops who were escorting him on the day.

"Shyam was nabbed in Hoskote a few days ago.

During the interrogation that followed his arrest, he revealed that three policemen, including a head constable, not only allowed him to talk to his friend on their mobile phone but also agreed to free him for a price," said Inspector General of Police Kamal Panth.

Shyam, who's involved in 59 cases of murder and robbery, was arrested by the city cops recently.

In 2007, when Shyam was being ferried from Central Prison to Kolar sub-jail, the cops allowed the serial killer to call an associate who followed the police van on his bike.

The cops later said that Shyam had been allowed out of the vehicle to answer nature's call when he escaped.

Shyam has confessed thatu00a0all he had to do to escape was step out of the escort vehicle and get on his associate's waiting bike.

The three policemen were suspended and later arrested on charges of negligence, and are now out on bail.

"Shyam's confession will attract harsher punishment for the three policemen, as they not only helped him escape but also helped him commit a murder," Pant said.

Shyam is involved in 29 cases of murder and 30 cases of robbery in Bangalore, Ramanagar, Kolar, Mysore, Bangalore Rural and Dharmapuri districts.

Shyam would allegedly move along highways with his associates on a bike. He would assault motorcycle riders hard on the head with an iron rod.

The impact of the blow would kill the motorcycle rider and give investigators the impression that it was merely a road accident.

He would rob the victim and escape. The whole incident came to light when the Kolar police arrested Shyam and his associate in 2007 while they were trying to sell of robbed valuables.