Visakhapatnam Chief Judicial Magistrate M. Pradeep Kumar on Wednesday convicted remand prisoner Namala Nagaraju, 35, for escaping police custody at King George Hospital in 2025. The court sentenced the NTR district native to one year of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a ₹6,000 fine for fleeing while undergoing treatment on May 8, 2025.

Nagaraju was a remand prisoner in an attempt-to-murder case undergoing treatment in the prisoners’ ward when escort personnel permitted breakfast. Prosecution witnesses led by Senior Assistant Public Prosecutor Mylapilli Adinarayana established that Nagaraju exploited the moment to flee the ward and evade custody.

Armed Reserve Head Constable Kona Ananda Rao lodged the complaint, prompting I Town Traffic Police to register a case. Sub-Inspector K. Srinivasa Rao investigated and filed a chargesheet. The prosecution proved the charge beyond reasonable doubt under Section 262 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the court stated.

The court ordered that failure to pay the ₹6,000 fine will result in one month of simple imprisonment. The judgment stands as the final order in the escape case.