Sena leader’s ‘killer’ brutally attacks ex-DSP, 2 other cops in Patiala jail

A former DSP and two ex-inspectors were seriously injured when they were attacked by Sandeep Singh, alias Sunny, the accused in the murder of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri, inside the Central Jail, Patiala. The condition of all three injured police officials, two of whom have been convicted in fake encounter cases, is stated to be critical and they are reportedly admitted to an ICU.

Sunny allegedly attacked former DSP Gurbachan Singh, retired Inspector Subba Singh and dismissed Inspector Inderjit Singh. 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. “The condition of Subba Singh is very critical, while the other two have also suffered grievous injuries on their heads,” he said.

Punjab IG (Prisons) Roop Kumar Arora said they had ordered a probe into the incident and strict action as per law was being taken. “We will probe the incident in detail,” he said.

In last November, 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.

The police have registered a case under Section 109 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Tripuri police station and are likely to procure remand of the accused to question him. “We need to know the reason for the crime, which is not clear as of now,” said the police.

“We cannot rule out anything as of now and strict action will be taken. We will arrest and then question Sunny to ascertain the reason for the attack,” said Patiala SSP Varun Sharma.

Among the injured is dismissed Inspector Inderjeet Singh, who was arrested in 2017 after the special task force of the Punjab Police seized drugs and a huge cache of arms and ammunition from him. During raids on government accommodations in Jalandhar and Phagwara, the police confiscated three kg smack and four kg heroin, besides arms and ammunition. The seized weapons included an AK-47 and a 9-mm Italy-made pistol.

In 2024, the Enforcement Directorate had arrested Inderjit Singh under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Retired Inspector Subba Singh (83) was jailed last month by a CBI court along with four retired police officials in a 1993 fake encounter of seven youths of a Tarn Taran village.

Former DSP Gurbachan Singh was, last year, sentenced by a CBI court to life imprisonment in a 1992 fake encounter case.