Undertrial escapes after criminals throw chilli powder at cops

HISAR: Five criminals helped an undertrial escape from police custody by throwing chilli powder in the eyes of cops who brought him to a court in Ellenabad town of Sirsa district on Friday.

The miscreants also fired at the three policemen escorting Sanjeet Kumar, an undertrial of Bhondsi jail of Gurgaon and a resident of Bhatgaon village in Sonepat district. Assistant subinspector (ASI) Sanjay Kumar was injured in the firing and rushed to the Sirsa civil hospital with a leg injury.

The police later chased the criminals and arrested two of them while they were trying to escape from the court complex by scaling a wall.

Police said, “ASI Sanjay Kumar of Rohtak police and two other cops were escorting Sanjeet who is facing trial in a loot case in an Ellenabad court. Sanjeet and his accomplices had looted ₹46 lakh from a cloth merchant two years ago.”

He added, “His accomplices Ravi, Sunny, Sumit, Ashok and an unidentified criminal were hiding near the court complex. They threw chilli powder in the eyes of the cops. Sanjeet and his four accomplices managed to flee while the police nabbed Sumit and Ashok as their motorcycle slipped on the road when they were trying to escape.”

Sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Pradeep Dahiya, deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Ravindra Kumar and SHO Vikas Kumar reached the spot with heavy police force.

DSP Pradeep Dahiya said the police will arrest the undertrial and three other accused soon.

Police registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and started investigations into the matter.