Three arrested for helping a dreaded criminal escape

The Haryana Police on Thursday claimed to have achieved a major breakthrough on the February 21 violent incident in Hodal in district Palwal by arresting three hardcore criminals, hailing from different parts of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Prabhu Razdan reports.

The Haryana Police on Thursday claimed to have achieved a major breakthrough on the February 21 violent incident in Hodal in district Palwal by arresting three hardcore criminals, hailing from different parts of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

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"The three criminals who have been arrested today were involved in the murder of assistant sub inspector and in setting free a dreaded criminal ," said Anil Dhawan, Superintendent of Police, Palwal. Singh was being taken to a court in Mathura from Gurgaon jail.

Police, however, have been unable to trace Singh, who has over a dozen charges in his name, mostly those of murder.

He had fled from custody when these criminals on three motorcycles attacked the police cavalcade accompanying him.

The arrested criminals have been identified as Vinod Kumar of Om Nagar, Govardhan in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh; Jagdish alias Jaggi of Mandori area in Hathin in Palwal district, Haryana and Indraj of Deh village in Kosikalla, Uttar Pradesh.

The police also said that all three were arrested on Thursday near the Palwal bus-stand.

"They will be produced before the local court in Hodal on Friday," said, Hansraj, in-charge Criminal Investigating Agency (CIA), Palwal.

"We will seek police remand so that we can recover the weapon they snatched from the slain ASI and those they used for firing at the police official," Hansraj added.

It may be mentioned ASI Om Prakash and two other cops were escorting Bachu Singh on February 21 to a local court in Mathura when six armed criminals on three motorcycles appeared outside the Haryana Tourist Complex at Dabchik in Hodal and fired indiscriminately at the ASI. They distracted the team and facilitated Singh's escape.

The ASI later died on way to a hospital. The three-member police team was carrying Bachu Singh to Mathura court from Bhondsi jail.

The criminals had also snatched the ASI's weapon and the fled from the spot along with Singh, the prisoner.

Sources said that Singh has about a dozen cases pending against him in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and elsewhere.

"We have launched a hunt has to trace the other accused," Dhawan said.