Faridabad: Name mix-up leads to release of rape accused instead of prisoner granted bail

The Faridabad district jail administration released a POCSO prisoner instead of the prisoner who was supposed to be released on bail due to a mix-up of names, police said on Friday.

After the release of the wrong prisoner, a case has been registered against the POCSO prisoner for hiding his identity and getting released at the Sadar police station.

The police have begun searching for the prisoner and he will be arrested soon, assured Sadar police station SHO Umesh Kumar.

27-year-old Nitesh Pandey, son of Ravinder Pandey, was arrested on October 2021 for repeatedly raping a nine-year-old boy in Faridabad.

Complicating matters, there is a second individual named Nitesh, who is 24 years old and also has a father named Ravinder. He was jailed the previous Sunday on charges of house trespass and assault.

Both men were lodged in Neemka jail, Faridabad, the police said.

The second Nitesh, accused of assault, was granted bail on Monday by the Faridabad court Chief Judicial Magistrate.

He was set to be released from jail on Tuesday, however, authorities released Nitesh Pandey, the rape accused.

The jail administration now claims that Nitesh Pandey managed to obtain his release by hiding his identity.

"We have lodged a complaint with the Sadar Police Station against Nitish Pandey for obtaining his release by hiding his identity," Jail Deputy Superintendent Vikram Singh said.