A member of Bambhia gang escaped from police custody in the wee hours here on Saturday morning.
Surinder Pal Singh–alias Billa–the gang member was under treatment in Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital in Faridkot. He was arrested by the Faridkot police on July 11 after an encounter.
During exchange of firing between the cops and three miscreants, Billa had got a bullet shot in his leg and he was under treatment for this injury in the medical college here.
Despite high police security in the medical college and hospital here, Billa was able to give a slip to the cops at around 4 am. Jasmeet Singh, SP (D), Faridkot, said the police parties were in search of the escapee. He said necessary disciplinary action would be taken against the erring cops on duty in the hospital.
The escape of Billa has left many shocked as the medical college and hospital is under tight police security after Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, an accused in the Sidhu Moose Wala murder case, was shifted to this medical college from Bathinda jail after he got gastroenteritis problem.
Billa and his two associates are accused of firing shots into the air to intimidate a trader for getting extortion money from him in Jaito town of the district this month.
On July 11, the police had arrested these gangsters after an exchange of fire between cops and the miscreants.
One of the culprits was injured during the exchange.
The police had identified the culprits as Shaminder Singh, Satnam Singh and Surinder Pal Singh of the Bambiha group. A weapon and live cartridges were also recovered from them.
The police said after it got a tip-off about the culprits and cops were trying to nab them from a hideout in Kotkapura town on July 11, they attacked the police by opening fire and soon, both the sides were involved in an exchange of gunfire.
On July 6, three masked persons had fired shots into the air at the old grain market of Jaito and fled from the spot. The incident had led to panic among the traders of the area.
An investigation by the police had revealed that a trader in Jaito town had received a call for extortion money. As he did not respond to repeated phone calls of extortionists, they came near his establishment and fired shots into the air to frighten him.
