Chandigarh police on Saturday nabbed Ambala resident Harpreet Singh, who was sentenced to a life term in prison along with four others for kidnapping and gangraping a German woman in September 2008 and had jumped parole in January this year.
Harpreet was nabbed on a tip-off and was found driving a stolen car bearing a fake registration number. On the tip-off, the police laid a checkpost on the Sector 42-43 roundabout and signalled down a white-coloured Maruti Swift being driven by him. The police have also arrested SAS Nagar resident Onkar Singh, who was accompanying Harpreet. Addressing reporters here, deputy superintendent of police (DSP) (crime) Satbir Singh claimed that Harpreet had committed three crimes, including robbery, after jumping parole.
With Harpreet's arrest, the number of convicts in the gangrape case who have jumped parole has come down from three to two. Harpreet was granted parole from November 20, 2012, to January 2 this year. He, however, did not report back to jail. Other two convicts who are still on the run are: Sompal and Sukhwinder. Sompal, who was on a 42-day parole, had to report to Faridkot jail on September 27, but did not do it. Sukhwinder, who was granted parole on July 18 this year and was to report back at Patiala jail on August 30, also did not turn up. Two other convicts Pankaj Punia and Manvir Singh are lodged at Burail jail.
Now, booked for forgery
The Maruti Swift that was being driven by Harpreet on Saturday was robbed from Ambala in June this year. The vehicle bore a fake registration number and forged documents to support it. Onkar, who was accompanying Harpreet, showed the police the documents of the vehicle. On verification, the police found the documents forged and have now booked the two for cheating and forgery.
Now, booked for forgery
The Maruti Swift that was being driven by Harpreet on Saturday was robbed from Ambala in June this year. The vehicle bore a fake registration number and forged documents to support it. Onkar, who was accompanying Harpreet, showed the police the documents of the vehicle. On verification, the police found the documents forged and have now booked the two for cheating and forgery.
Flashback
Harpreet Singh was awarded a life term along with four others for raping a German woman when she had come to India for attending a friend's marriage in 2008. On September 27, 2008, the woman was kidnapped from the parking lot of Hotel Taj by Harpreet and his accomplices in a black Scorpio. After driving around for nearly three hours, they had taken the woman to a secluded place and took turns to rape her. Later, they dropped the victim near her friend's house in Sector 20. The five were arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment by a court here on January 2009.