TAXILA, Oct 21: Seven policemen, including the station house officer (SHO) of Hassanabdal Saddar, were put behind bars after a man arrested in a kidnapping-cum-murder case escaped from their lock-up on Sunday.

Saleh Mohammad of Utmanabad locality was kidnapped for ransom on August 29. The kidnappers demanded a ransom but his relatives could not arrange the amount. On October 15, the kidnap victim’s body was found in a well in village Pind Mehri in the limits of the Hassanabdal police.

The police arrested Sher Ali, a resident of Swat, in connection with the crime and shifted him to the Hassanabdal Saddae police station. However, the accused fled early Sunday.

The policemen were arrested after District Police Officer Hilal Khan ordered registration of a case against them. They were identified as SHO Mohammad Aslam, SI Mohammad Rafeeq, Moharrar Mohammad Kamran, constables Safeer Ahmed, Yasir Mehmood, Naveed Ahmed and Sohail Ahmed.