Thrissur, Sunday, December 27, 2009: An undertrial, who was facing murder charges escaped from the police custody here on Saturday. Ripper Surendran, key accused in the Mariam murder case escaped from police custody for the second time from Mulankunnathukavu medical college hospital where he was undergoing treatment.

Surendran had made a similar attempt to escape a week before on 17 December, after which he was caught.

Surendran was arrested on September 10 in connection with the murder of a woman. According to Irinjalakkuda Police, the accused bludgeoned Maria (80), wife of Alappatt Lonappan, to death in her house at Porithissery and escaped with gold jewellery weighing about 12 sovereigns. The police said he was involved in five more attacks for gain in similar manner.