Patnagarh: Punjilal Meher, accused in the sensational Patnagarh wedding gift blast case, tried to escape from prison today, a police official said.

Meher along with six other prisoners reached near the gate of the Patnagarh Sub-Jail this morning with an intention of fleeing the place.

A scuffle ensued between the prisoners and the jail staff near the gate, following which the siren blew for around 15-20 minutes, reports said.

Punjilal had hatched multiple conspiracies in the recent past to escape from the jail, the warden of the prison said.

On the other hand, DGP RP Sharma has sought a report from the jail authorities in connection with the incident. Required action will be taken after submission of the report, the top cop said.

Notably, Meher was arrested on April 25, last year by the Odisha Crime Branch and is currently lodged in Patnagarh Sub-Jail. He has been charged under Sections 302 and 307 of IPC besides Explosive Offences Act.

He had allegedly sent a parcel as a wedding gift containing bomb to the house of deceased Soumya Sekhar. The gift was unwrapped on February 23, 2018, four days after Soumya Sekhar's marriage with Reema Rani. Soumya Sekhar and his grandmother Jemamani were killed after the parcel bomb exploded, while Reema Rani sustained critical burn injuries.