CHANDIGARH: In a Bollywood style escape from police custody, an undertrial in a murder case escaped after five car-borne people tossed chilli powder in the eyes of the policemen accompanying him in Batala.
Sources said that Harvinder Singh was brought from Hoshiarpur in a Punjab roadways bus and then boarded an auto-rickshaw to go to the local court along with two cops.
As the auto rickshaw reached the railway crossing on Gurdaspur-Batala road, an
I-20 car forced it to a stop.
Two people got out of the car and after throwing chilli powder in the cops’ eyes, fled after pushing Singh into the car.
“The involvement of Vicky Gounder’s gang cannot be ruled out, and we are now trying to locate the whereabouts of the accused undertrial,” said a police officer.
Senior superintendent of police of Batala, Deepak Hilori said, “We are closely working with officers of the neighbouring districts. Check posts have been laid at strategic points and we hope to arrest the accused. We had increased police presence substantially after the April 20 Kahnuwan by-pass shooting in adjoining Gurdaspur district in which Vicky Gounder was involved. On May 19 a doctor was kidnapped for ransom from Amritsar by his gang.’’
Two days ago, Gurdaspur police had arrested Gian Kharal, a key aide of Gangster Vicky Gounder.