Nabha jailbreak key accused Neeta arrested

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 17

Madhya Pradesh Police today arrested Kulpreet Singh, alias Neeta Deol, one of the six prisoners involved in the daring escape from Nabha’s Maximum Security Jail on November 27 last year.

Deol, along with accomplice Sunil Kumar from Haryana, was arrested by the Indore police. The two were staying in a flat under fictitious names and were in touch with other accused, said sources. They were planning to flee the country using fake passports.

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The Punjab Police had provided “specific details” to the MP Police about their presence in and around Indore, they said. A senior IPS officer told The Tribune that four police teams from Punjab were dispatched to arrest the accused, who had been on the run ever since their escape.

Sunil Kumar, who was sentenced in a murder case in the Bhadson area of Patiala, was declared a proclaimed offender in 2010, the officer said. Deol, a Moga resident, belongs to a well-off family involved in transport business.

The sharpshooter is associated with Shera Khubban gang and is one of 15 accused in Sukha Kahlwan murder. He has a Rs 5-lakh bounty on his head. In 2015, Deol was arrested from Amritsar airport in connection with six murder and attempted murder cases.

In December, Deol's father Surjit Singh, citing social media reports, had sought directions to the DGP to produce his son before the Punjab and Haryana HC claiming he had been arrested. The police told the court Deol had not been arrested.

"We expect them to be brought to Punjab by Wednesday. However, the MP Police were questioning them over their possible involvement in crime in that state," said a senior police officer. Their questioning is essential to ascertain how they dodged the police for so long, he added.

On November 27, six prisoners — terrorists Harminder Singh alias Mintoo, and Kashmir Singh, and four gangsters Harjinder Bhullar, alias Vicky Gounder; Kulpreet Singh, alias Neeta Deol; Gurpreet Singh Sekhon and Amanpreet Tonda — escaped from jail with help of 14 men. Mintoo was held within 24 hours. Assistant Jail Superintendent Bhim Singh, head warder Jagmeet Singh and Tejinder Sharma, who runs a sweet shop, were arrested for “facilitating” the escape.