Gounder may be killed in encounter, fears family

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, November 27

The family of gangster Harjinder Singh Bhullar alias Vicky Gounder (27), who escaped with five other prisoners from Nabha jail today, demanded legal action against him for his action. It, though, feared the police might kill him in an encounter.

Gounder is a native of Sarawan Bodla village in Lambi Assembly segment.

His mother Jaswinder Kaur said, “I learnt of my son’s escape from jail through news. He can’t escape on his own. He acted on someone’s suggestion. The police must put him behind the bars and not harass us. They (cops) have taken away two of my nephews.”

In the past four years, she and her husband Mehal Singh never met their son in jail. “I feel sad because of his actions. He is my lone son,” Jaswinder said.

Gounder was once into sports. “After taking admission in a Jalandhar college, some youths spoiled him and he took to the world of crime. We advised him to mend his ways,” she said taking a deep breath.

Jagdish Singh, younger uncle of the gangster, said Gounder’s action of escaping from jail had shocked them. “He should not have run away. We fear that the police may kill him in an encounter.”

He questioned the security arrangements in the jail.

“I had met him in jail about three months ago. He had told me he would become a law-abiding citizen. But I was unaware of what was going on in his mind,” Jagdish said.

Gounder was once a discus thrower and won medals at the national level, he recalled. He regretted sending Gounder to Jalandhar.

His father Mehal Singh was not present in the house. Jagdish said his brother had disowned Gounder in 2011.

Senior Superintendent of Police Gurpreet Singh Gill said, “The police have rounded up two cousins of Gounder. They will be released once the investigation is over. Besides, we are conducting raids at some of his possible hideouts and put up nakas.”