Ludhiana: Constable lets undertrial visit home, he flees

Agrawal said that on Friday, constable Bhupinder Singh was on duty to produce accused Dharminder Pal alias Tinku of Barewal Awana of Ludhiana who was arrested by division number 7 police in July this year. He was booked under the sections 21/61/85 of the NDPS Act and 1-kg heroin and Rs 7.50 lakh drug money was allegedly recovered from him.

“After the court hearing, the accused told constable that he wants to meet his ailing mother. In a complete dereliction of duty and misconduct, the constable accompanied the accused to his home in Barewal Awana and that too in the personal vehicle – a Maruti Brezza – of the accused. It was a planned conspiracy by the accused as his two friends, Jasvir Singh and Davinder Singh, had already reached court premises with the vehicle. The constable removed the handcuffs of the accused in the vehicle itself and later also had tea at his home. Then the accused along with his two friends fled from the spot saying that they were going to get medicines for his ailing mother,” Agrawal said.

The constable informed his seniors only after he failed to locate the accused. While the accused went missing around 2 pm, the senior police officials came to know about it only after 5 pm.

The Ludhiana police Saturday arrested Tinku, Jasvir Singh and his wife Anju of Tibba of Ludhiana and Davinder Singh of Barewal Awana. The three of them allegedly helped the accused in hatching conspiracy and then fleeing from the court.

Jasvir’s wife Anju also allegedly accompanied them in car while fleeing to Patiala so that vehicle is not stopped for checking seeing a woman inside, said the police.

The police also arrested constable Bhupinder Singh.

An FIR against five of them has been registered at division number 5 police station under sections 223 (Escape from confinement or custody negligently suffered by public servant), 224 (Resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension), 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 473 (Making or possessing counterfeit seal with intent to commit forgery punishable otherwise) and 120-B (conspiracy) of IPC.

Tinku was already booked in 11 FIRs for alleged drug peddling, attempt to murder, dacoity registered at different police stations in Ludhiana and Gurdaspur districts.

Agrawal added that the accused also changed the number plates of the vehicle to mislead the police.

He added that there can be a bigger conspiracy behind the episode and it will be clear only after interrogation of all accused. “We are probing if the constable was given any bribe and if yes, how much and when. Maybe he was promised some amount later but it is being probed,” he said.

Sources further said that two friends of Tinku had recently met him in jail and thus the entire episode was well planned in advance.

“The constable did not accompany the accused from the jail. There were several other policemen who had accompanied him in police van from jail. He only met him at maalkhaana from where he was taken to the court room. So they met for few minutes only. It is being probed that how he convinced him to take him home in just few minutes,” said CP to The Indian Express.

In 2008 also, Tinku had fled from Ludhiana Central Jail after impersonating as a cop in uniform.

Another undertrial escapes from Ludhiana Civil Hospital

Ludhiana: Arrested in a snatching case, an undertrial escaped from Ludhiana Civil Hospital Saturday. He was identified as Gaurav Kumar (24) of Mohalla Bhadera of Phillaur. Police said that he escaped after jumping off from third floor of the hospital where he was brought for treatment. He was arrested on September 30 in a snatching case by division number 5 police station of Ludhiana and sent to Ludhiana Central Jail in judicial remand. However, on Saturday he reportedly started having fits at jail and was brought to hospital for treatment. ACP( central) Waryam Singh said that the undertrial asked for permission to go washroom. He then jumped from the window of the washroom on third floor and fled. An FIR was being registered against him at division number 2 police station in the matter till filing of this report.