Serial killer escapes from toilet, nabbed

A brothel owner, accused of murdering 13 people, including her clients, escaped from police custody while being brought from Bangalore to a court here on Thursday.

However, police swung into action and nabbed her.

Prema, a native of Tirthahalli in Shimoga, was arrested by Tumkur police last year along with her aides. She faces three  murder charges in Tumkur and 10 in Bangalore Rural district.

Currently, she is lodged in the Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara in Bangalore. Prema allegedly ran a brothel in the City and robbed her patronisers of their belongings. In many cases, she even murdered them for gain, police confirmed.

But most of her victims were women who tried to flee the brothel.

Many such murders in Ramanagaram, Tumkur, Kolar and Bangalore Rural districts last year were allegedly committed by her, police said.

According to police, Prema, who was brought to a local court for hearing in a murder case, was being taken back to Bangalore after the hearing. When the vehicle reached the City bus stand, she requested the cops to allow her to answer the call of nature.

Prema, escorted by two female head constables, was taken to a toilet.

When the constables also went to the toilet, she fled, police said.

Police teams from various stations across the City and the rural areas stepped up security along roads leading out of the City and checked every vehicle leaving Tumkur limits.

The rural police nabbed Prema from a Bangalore-bound private bus near a toll gate.

Superintendent of Police Mohan Reddy told Deccan Herald that an inquiry would be conducted against the two women head constables for their negligence.

If they are found guilty of dereliction of duty, strict action will be taken against them, he said.