A day after an undertrial, arrested on drug peddling charges, escaped from police custody, the accused was arrested along with his three accomplices on Saturday.
Police said Dharminder Pal Singh was arrested along with his aides — Jasveer Singh and his wife Anju of Subhash Nagar, and Davinderpal of Barewal Awana — from Patiala. Police said it was Davinder who had met Dharminder in jail on September 3 and planned the escape.
The police have also arrested the constable, Bhupinder Singh, who was accompanying Dharminder to the hearing, for negligence, and dismissed him from the force after the senior officials found his involvement in the escape.
Police commissioner Rakesh Agarwal said, “Dharminder, who is facing trial in 11 criminal cases, had escaped from the Ludhiana central jail in 2008 too by managing to get a police uniform. He was arrested by the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) staff around one-and-a-half months ago with 1kg heroin and ₹7.5 lakh drug money.”
“Dharminder was brought to the court from the Ludhiana central jail for hearing, following which he requested constable Bhupinder Singh for taking him to Barewal Awana to meet his ailing mother. His accomplices were already presentoutside the court in a Maruti Suzuki Brezza car,” Agarwal said.
“After reaching Barewal Awana, the constable had unlocked his handcuffs and went inside the house with him, while Jasveer, Anju and Davinder kept sitting inside the car. Dharminder offered the constable tea and, on the pretext of getting medicines for his mother from the car, escaped with his accomplices in the vehicle having a fake number plate and fake registration certificate,” Agarwal said.
{{/usCountry}}“After reaching Barewal Awana, the constable had unlocked his handcuffs and went inside the house with him, while Jasveer, Anju and Davinder kept sitting inside the car. Dharminder offered the constable tea and, on the pretext of getting medicines for his mother from the car, escaped with his accomplices in the vehicle having a fake number plate and fake registration certificate,” Agarwal said.
{{/usCountry}}The police chief said the constable did not inform his senior officials about the incident. “The officials came to know about the incident around 6pm when Dharminder was not found in the lockup,” he said.
A case 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 possessingcounterfeit seal, etc., with intent to commit forgery) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)against the accused at the Division Number 5 police station.
The accused will be produced before the court on Sunday.