COIMBATORE: A Pocso convict, deployed on duty at the prison department-run petrol bunk on Bharathiar Road in Coimbatore, escaped early Sunday morning. Three police officials who were on duty at the fuel station were placed under suspension.

The 32-year-old convict, S Vijay Rathinam from Gudalur in The Nilgiris, was lodged in Coimbatore Central Prison after being sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a minor in 2017.

However, in view of his good conduct, Rathinam was deployed at the prison-run Freedom Filling Station to work the night shift from 9 pm to 6 am. An initiative of the Prison Department to reform prisoners, the inmates are brought every day to the facility to work in different shifts.

It was around 6 am that the prison staff noticed that Rathinam was missing when they came to take the inmates back to the prison. Despite a search at the nearby bus stand and other places, Rathinam could not be found.

Based on a complaint, the Kattoor police registered a case and three special teams of police have launched a search. The police have also checked the CCTV footage from the neighbourhood.

Meanwhile, Coimbatore Central Prison Superintendent M Senthil Kumar issued an order placing three officials on duty at the fuel station under suspension for dereliction of duty.