Undertrial escapes custody

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 20

An under-trial today escaped from the police custody in ‘Bakshikhana’ (place where undertrials are kept before production in courtroom) at the district courts complex.

As per information, the jail administration brought 58 jail inmates to the district courts for their case hearing.

Jail and police officials were left red-faced after the undertrial escaped from right under their nose.

The undertrial has been identified as Harkamal Singh, a resident of Paras Ram Nagar. He is booked in various crimes, which include Section 307 for firing, two loots and a theft incident.

After the incident, the district police were put on alert and even the photo of the escaped undertrial was circulated by the Civil Lines police to each police station. Various teams were constituted to nab him.

Taking a strict note of the negligence of duty, the police have registered a case against head constable Mehma Singh, who was on duty at that time with the accused.

Civil Lines police station SHO Kuldeep Singh Bhullar said, “We have registered a case against the head constable and accused Harkamal Singh, who fled from the court.”

He also said teams had been on alert and are searching for the accused. He assured that accused would be in police net soon.

Last year, irked over his rival for not reaching a compromise over some issue, accused Harkamal had opened fire at a person at Hazi Rattan Chowk. Later, he was arrested.

Even during the hearing of the firing case, when the complainant had come to record his statement in the court, accused Harkamal had attacked him in front of the judge inside the courtroom and a case was registered against Harkamal at the Civil Lines police station in this regard.

This incident had once again raised a serious question mark over the security as the police are said to be not as vigilant as they should have been while bringing him for the hearing in the court.