A police station in Asansol, West Bengal

Police in West Bengal were left red-faced when a raid on a red light area in Asansol discovered four constables along with a convicted murderer whom they were supposed to be guarding, according to a report.



The four constables had been tasked with transporting the murderer from a jail in Jharkhand to hospital for a check-up, but the policemen decided to make a 206-kilometre detour to visit the red-light area in neighbouring West Bengal's Asansol, the Hindustan Times reported.



West Bengal police rounded up the four as part of the raid although the murderer managed to escape - and then made his own way back to jail in Koderma in Jharkhand, the report said.



"We have ordered a probe and suspended the four policemen until further notice," Jharkhand Director General of Police DK Pandey said.





Jharkhand, one of the country's poorest states which is grappling with Naxalism, has seen several security lapses in recent years.