Nabha jailbreak key accused Gurjeet Ladda arrested near Rajpura

PATIALA: Punjab Police on Tuesday arrested gangster Gurjeet Singh Ladda, a key accused in the Nabha jailbreak case.

Ladda, who hails from Tarn Taran district, was nabbed at a checkpost near Mirajpura village on the Rajpura-Chandigarh road. Senior superintendent of police (SSP) S Bhupati said the gangster, who was travelling in his Pajero SUV that bore a fake number plate (HR-26AX-2018) tried to run over the cops when he was signalled to stop.

“The somehow managed to intercept his vehicle and recovered a .30-bore pistol and 44 live cartridges, fake voter ID, PAN card and passport in the name of Surjit Singh of Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh,” the SSP said.

The police also recovered some fake documents on the name of his wife Ramandeep Kaur and daughter Jaijee Kaur.

“Ladda was planning to flee to the US with his family on fake passport,” the SSP added.

On November 27 last year, six dreaded criminals, including Gurpreet Singh Sekhon, Vicky Gounder, Kulpreet Singh Neeta Deol, Amandeep Singh Dhotian, Harminder Singh Mintoo and Kashmira Singh Galwadi, escaped from high security Nabha jail. Gounder and Galwadi are yet to be arrested.

The SSP said Ladda, along with his accomplices Gopi Ghanshampuria, Gopi Kaura, Prema Lahoria and Palwinder Pinda, masterminded the jailbreak. The police said Ladda was wanted in several cases of extortion and murder.

The police have registered case under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc.), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public function) and 473 (possessing counterfeit seal) of the Indian Penal Code at the Rajpura police station.

Police have so far arrested 26 people in the jailbreak case, the SSP said.