COIMBATORE: A life convict undergoing treatment at Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital in Salem escaped after breaking the iron bars of a toilet window on Saturday night.

Police said Mohammed Hussain (36), a native of Thanjavur is facing multiple cases of theft, sexual assault and murder.

In one of the cases, he was sentenced to life imprisonment and was lodged in Tiruchirappalli Central Prison. He was then shifted to Salem Central Prison on 18 April.

As he had developed some health complications, Hussain was treated in the prison hospital, however as his condition did not improve, he was shifted to the government hospital on 24 April for advanced medical care.

On Saturday midnight, Hussain had gone to the bathroom. As there was no response for long, the police grew suspicious and forced open the door. To their shock, they found the prisoner to have escaped after breaking open the iron bars of the toilet.

Police said Hussain had deliberately left the water tap open to mask the noise of his escape by breaking the window bars. He then climbed down through the pipeline before fleeing from the hospital premises.

A case has been registered and special teams are examining CCTV footage to trace him.