CHANDIGARH: An Army deserter who was accused of stealing rifles and ammunition from a training institute in Madhya Pradesh was on Friday arrested from Delhi by the Punjab Police after he had escaped from police custody on the pretext of going to the toilet.
Confirming that Harpreet Singh, 25, had been arrested, Senior Superintendent of Police of Hoshiarpur Gaurav Garg said, "A police team has arrested Singh from Connaught Place in Delhi as he was planning to escape to Nepal."
Singh, who was admitted at the civil hospital in Hoshiarpur to undergo treatment for a hand injury, escaped on the pretext of going to the toilet to attend nature’s call by climbing the wall around 4.30 am as he was being guarded by four police personnel.
Singh had been commissioned in the Sikh regiment at Ramgarh in Jharkhand on December 15, 2015, was trained as a bandsman in Pachmarhi and deputed in June 2017. He is facing charges for stealing two INSAS rifles and ammunition from the Army’s training institute in Pachmarhi.
He along with his accomplice was arrested from Chotala village near Tanda in Hoshiarpur in December last year. He was absent from duty since October 15 last year and had been declared a deserter by the Army. A case was registered against him on charges of theft, making preparation to commit dacoity, dishonestly receiving stolen property and under the Arms Act.