Drug trafficker gives Gujarat cops the slip

PK Jaiswar

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Amritsar, February 17

Drug trafficker Jobanjit Singh, a resident of Goindwal Sahib in Tarn Taran, who was lodged in a Gujarat jail, managed to flee from the custody of the Gujarat Police from Bandala near Jandiala here on Friday.

Jobanjit had been brought here for a hearing in connection with an NDPS case registered with the Narcotics Control Bureau in 2019. He was out on bail in the case.

Later, he was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in connection with seizure of over 200 kg of heroin in Gujarat in 2022.

A fresh case has been registered him and his four relatives who allegedly helped him escape from the police custody. The police have arrested Surinder Singh of Kallewal village, Satbir Singh of Sultanwind village, Daljit Kaur of Dharad village and Baljit Kaur of Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar in Maqboolpura here.

Sub-Inspector RC Solanik of Gujarat informed the Jandiala police that Jobanjit had been brought for hearing in an NDPS case here. He was produced before the court of Gurmohan Singh, Additional Sessions Judge, on Friday. On way back, they stopped at Naaz Dhaba located in Bandala village near Jandiala. The SI said Jobanjit’s handcuffs were opened so that he could eat food.

A few minutes later his relatives arrived there, the SI said, adding that they started chatting with cops to help Jobanjit escape from custody.

According to police sources, Jobanjit was lodged at Palara jail in the Kutch Bhuj area in Gujarat after the seizure of 200 kg heroin. The contraband was confiscated by the DRI in a joint operation with Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad in 2022. The drugs were hidden in the consignment of gypsum powder.