Man held guilty of escaping from police custody

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 18

A local court held a person guilty who had escaped police custody while returning to Burail Jail. However, two persons who were accused of helping him escape were acquitted for want of evidence.

Gurjant Singh Janta was held guilty by the court under Sections 224 and 34 of the IPC. The quantum of sentence will be announced on January 22.

Janta is said to be a hardcore criminal who has been booked for murder, snatching and robbery. His accomplices Kulwinder Singh, a resident of Sohana, and Farman Khan, a resident of Bhajo Majra, were acquitted.

On June 6, 2016, Gurjant had escaped police custody while he was being taken to Burail Jail. It was stated that at 2:40 pm, Gurjant was produced in a Rajpura court and was being taken back to Burail Jail. At the light point of Colony Number 5, a white Swift car allegedly driven by other two accused, came and put Gurjant inside the car before fleeing.

However, defence counsel Inderjit Bassi argued that the accused have been falsely implicated. An eyewitness failed to recognise Kulwinder Singh and Farman Khan and stated that he could not confirm whether they were the persons who were driving the car.

Gurjant was involved in a heist of Rs 1.34 crore from an Axis Bank cash van in Mohali and another Rs 5 lakh robbery from a cash van of the State Bank of Patiala near Khuda Ali Sher. He, along his gang members, had fired at security guards on July 14, 2014. Gurjant Singh, alias Janta, was held by the Mohali police in March 2015, along with eight robbers who targeted the cash van of Axis bank.

Quantum of sentence on January 22

Gurjant Singh Janta was held guilty by the court under Sections 224 and 34 of the IPC. The quantum of sentence will be announced on January 22.