An undertrial woman accused of drug peddling, who was lodged in judicial custody at the district jail in Dharamshala, escaped from the jail barrack on Tuesday morning.
However, she was nabbed at Nurpur within a few hours of her escape by personnel of the Nurpur sub-jail, with the assistance of the local traffic police.
The accused was identified as Kukhwinder Kaur, a resident of village Baltoha Jodhsingh Wala in Tarn Taran district, Punjab.
She had been booked by the Nurpur police a few months ago following the recovery of synthetic drugs from her possession.
An FIR (No. 152/2026) had been registered against her under Sections 21 and 29 of the NDPS Act.
According to the police, immediately after her escape from the district jail, the jail department and the district police swung into action and launched a massive search operation to trace and arrest her.
The Nurpur sub-jail police and the traffic police jointly set up a naka at Chogan on the Pathankot-Mandi National Highway and intercepted a taxi that the escaped accused had hired from Dharamshala.
She was found travelling in the vehicle and was arrested after being identified by the police.
ASP Nurpur Dharam Chand Verma said the accused was handed over to the district jail authorities after being taken into police custody.
Meanwhile, the state police authorities have taken serious cognizance of the escape.
The jail department has ordered an inquiry to be conducted by an officer of the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP) to ascertain the circumstances leading to the escape and to ensure that such incidents do not recur.
