Murder accused Manoj Samantaray alias Kanji of Shastri Nagar area in the town was in the court for trial when he tried to escape from police custody.
Manoj, who has been in the jail for the last two years in a murder case, was trying to run away after throwing chili powder on the police personnel, said Deepak Mishra, inspector-in-charge of Baidya Nathpur police station.
Policemen, however, chased and captured him within minutes, he said.
Efforts were on to ascertain as to how the undertrial procured chili powder.
