The prisoner, identified as Md Sabir, escaped after unlocking the handcuff while the policemen in escort duty were taking him at the court lock up after production in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Vishundev Rai for hearing of a case against him, the sources said.
The undertrial prisoner was arrested from a place under Akbarpur police station area in December, 2011, in a motorcycle theft case, they said.
Raids were being carried out to nab the prisoner.