In a major security lapse, Aman alias Kaku, the main accused in the shooting case involving former Congress MLA Bambar Thakur, escaped from police custody while being brought back from Delhi, officials said.

According to police sources, a team from Bilaspur had taken the accused to Delhi in connection with a court hearing. After the proceedings, the team was escorting him back to Himachal Pradesh when he allegedly escaped near the Tikri border on the Delhi-Haryana border.

Following the incident, Bilaspur Police suspended two constables on charges of negligence and ordered a departmental inquiry into the entire sequence of events.

Police said efforts were underway to trace and arrest the accused. Teams from Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana police have been alerted, and raids are being conducted at possible hideouts.

The inquiry will examine the circumstances under which the accused escaped and identify lapses in security arrangements.