Five days after attack on ex-cops in Patiala jail, police yet to quiz accused

Five days after the attack on three former policemen inside Central Jail Patiala, the Patiala police are yet to arrest the main accused who is lodged inside the same jail. While one of the injured former policemen is fighting for his life and has undergone a brain-related surgery, the other two former cops are admitted with serious head injuries.

The three were attacked and left with severe injuries allegedly by Sandeep Singh, alias Sunny, the accused in the murder of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri.

Sources in the police say that they are yet to approach the court and get remand of the accused booked under Section 109 (attempt to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Tripuri police station last week. “Since two of the injured former cops were sentenced for fake encounters during terrorism days, the case is more serious,” they said.

“We need more police to get him out of jail and take him in for questioning. The past few days have been busy and Sunny will be brought for questioning only after ample security measures are in place,” said a senior police official. “He is inside jail and we cannot take any chances given the gravity of the case. However his questioning is important to ascertain the actual cause of the sudden attack,” he said.

Sunny allegedly attacked former DSP Gurbachan Singh, retired Inspector Subba Singh and dismissed Inspector Inderjit Singh. According to the police, the condition of Subba Singh is still very critical.

A senior jail official said the incident took place in the high-security barrack where the accused and the victims were lodged separately as all of them face threats. A jail official said Sunny attacked the three former policemen with a pipe in the verandah of the barrack. It was with the intervention of the jail staff that the situation was brought under control and the injured were rushed for treatment.

In November 2024, Sunny was shifted to the high-security barrack after an alleged threat to his safety by some jail inmates following his argument with them. Sunny had allegedly shot Suri outside Gopal Mandir in Amritsar in November 2022 in broad daylight.

SHO Tripuri Sukhwinder Singh Gill said that they are investigating the matter and “will soon approach the court to take police remand of the accused”. “The FIR in the case was registered within hours after a formal complaint and the matter is in the notice of seniors,” he stated.