Key accused in Moosewala case escapes from police custody
Gangster Deepak Tinu, one of the key accused in singer Sidhu Moosewala’s murder case, fled from the custody of the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) unit of Punjab’s Mansa police in the early hours of Sunday, police said.
Gangster Deepak Tinu, one of the key accused in singer Sidhu Moosewala’s murder case, fled from the custody of the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) unit of Punjab’s Mansa police in the early hours of Sunday, police said.
Pritpal Singh, Mansa CIA in-charge and also a member of the special investigation team (SIT) probing the Moosewala murder case, was suspended and subsequently arrested, said Punjab police.
Director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said the CIA in-charge has been arrested while asserting that no laxity will be tolerated.
“FIR registered against errant police official on the escape of Deepak Tinu from custody in Mansa Incharge CIA apprehended...,” said DGP Yadav in a tweet. “No laxity will be tolerated. Police teams have fanned out & operation for re-arresting accused launched.”
Police said that Tinu, who is a close aide of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, fled from the custody on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday when he was brought on a production warrant from Goindwal Sahib jail in Tarn Taran district in another case.
Mansa senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gaurav Toora said the CIA in-charge was taking the accused to Sardulgarh for recovery in a murder case when he escaped.
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“CIA in-charge did not take any permission from me. How and where Tinu escaped is a matter of investigation and it has not been revealed during preliminary investigation,” he said. “Prima facie role of Pritpal is found as he alone took Tinu from the CIA police station. The role of other police officers posted at the CIA police station is also under investigation.”
A first information report (FIR) under sections 222 (intentional omission to apprehend on the part of public servant bound to apprehend person under sentence or lawfully committed), 224 (resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension), 225 A (omission to apprehend, or sufferance of escape, on part of public servant...) and 120-B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered at Mansa City-1 police station against errant officers, the Punjab police said.
Meanwhile, the Punjab police sounded a high alert across the state and also launched a search operation in neighbouring Haryana and Rajasthan.
The CIA in-charge has been dismissed from service under Article 311 of the constitution, Punjab police said. The article details the procedure for dismissal, removal or reduction in rank of persons employed in civil capacities under the Union or a state.
An officer requesting anonymity said the CIA in-charge had taken Tinu out of the police station on Saturday night to facilitate his meeting with someone. Tinu is facing 35 criminal cases, including murder, in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Rajasthan and Delhi.
Hours after Tinu escaped police custody, Moosewala’s mother Charan Kaur alleged the government was providing all kind of facilities to gangsters inside the jail.
“We have no hope for justice now. Soon a WhatsApp number will be issued and will start holding candle marches for justice. They are trying to bury the case,” she alleged. “What the new government has done in the last six months, have you seen any change? Instead of focusing on the real work, they are busy in doing useless things. Those who killed my sons are roaming around with security and one has easily escaped.”
The Punjab police had brought him on transit remand from the Tihar jail in Delhi on July 4 in the Moosewala murder case. Tinu is among 24 accused charge-sheeted by the Mansa police in the case so far. A close aide of gangsters Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, Tinu was allegedly involved in the planning of the singer’s murder.
“Tinu was in Tihar jail and directly participated in the planning of Moosewala’s murder,” Mansa police claimed in the charge sheet filed in the case. “He was instrumental in connecting Bishnoi from Tihar jail with gangster Goldy Brar, who was believed to be in Canada at that time, through mobile phones for planning and execution of Moosewala’s murder.”
Moosewala was shot dead in Punjab’s Mansa district on May 29 when he was on his way to Jawaharke village in a jeep with his friend and cousin. His vehicle was waylaid and bullets were sprayed on him by six shooters.
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On September 12, Gondwal Sahib jail officers recovered two mobile phones from the barrack where six accused in Moosewala murder case, including Tinu, were lodged. An officer requesting anonymity said the gangster might have been in constant touch with aides outside and looking for an opportunity.
Tinu had escaped police custody in 2017 as well with the help of another gangster and his aide from Haryana after throwing pepper spray in the eyes of a police officer. In December that year, he was arrested by the Bhiwani police from Bengaluru.
Opposition parties - Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP - hit out at the state government. “Gangster Deepak Tinu... managed to escape from Mansa Police’s custody in a cinematic manner while the CM of Punjab is busy performing ‘Garba’ in Gujarat,’’ leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa tweeted.
Finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema said strict action will be taken against those who broke the law.
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