A 52-year-old life convict, who escaped from the convict ward at Government Medical College and Hospital, was arrested by Vellore Taluk police near Kaniyambadi in Vellore on Tuesday.

The arrested person was identified as A. Babu Ahmed Sheikh, a native of Kerala. He was convicted for life imprisonment on murder charges and was serving his jail term at Central Prison in Vellore in 2023. A few days ago, he complained of illness and was admitted at the government hospital for treatment on Monday. However, he managed to escape from the ward.

Based on orders of N. Mathivannan, SP (Vellore), special teams were formed to nab him. After continuous search, the police team arrested him near Kaniyambadi where he was waiting to board a bus. He was lodged at Central Prison. Meanwhile, Mr. Mathivanan issued orders to suspend four constables attached to Armed Reserve (AR) for dereliction of duty. A probe is underway.