NRI held in Nabha jailbreak case

Tribune News Service

Moga, July 29

The police on Sunday arrested Australia-based NRI Kultar Singh Goldy, who was wanted in the Nabha jailbreak case. He was accused of harbouring gangster Gurpreet Singh Sekhon, the alleged mastermind of the November 2016 jailbreak.

Confirming the development, Moga SSP Gurpreet Singh Toor and SP (investigation) Vazir Singh said an FIR under Sections 130, 212, 216 and 216-A of the IPC was registered against Goldy and his aide, Gurwinder Singh alias Gori, a resident of Dashmesh Nagar here.

Gurpreet Sekhon and three of his accomplices — Manveer Sekhon, Rajwinder Raja and Kulwinder Singh — all wanted in the jailbreak case — were arrested by the counter intelligence wing of the state police on February 12, 2017, from Goldy’s residence at Dhudike village.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had stayed Goldy’s arrest on April 8, 2017, while directing him to appear before the police to join the investigation. However, he did not turn up. His counsel, Pratham Sethi, had told the court that Goldy was in Australia since July 10, 2009, though he visited India later and last came on January 23, 2017, months after the jailbreak. The court was also told that he was away to Ludhiana the day the escaped convicts were arrested from his house.

The local police claimed that they had seized four pistols and a gun, along with cartridges, from Sekhon and his aides at Goldy’s residence. The arms and ammunition were provided to them by Karanpal Singh, owner of the local Punjab Gun House. Karanpal was also arrested.

Later, it was established that Goldy provided shelter to the gangsters. He was declared a PO in December 2017. The SSP said Goldy would be produced before a court here on Monday for seeking his police remand.