By Satinder Bains
CHANDIGARH: With the arrest of a gangster involved in the Nabha jail break from Uttar Pradesh and Harminder Singjh Mintoo, the Khalistani terrorist from Delhi, now questions were being raised on the role of Punjab Police and the political eastablishment.
It is strange that all the six escapees of Nabha jail and about a dozen gangsters who attacked the jail had managed to cross the border of Punjab and entered the other states despite high red alert and orders to seal the all border roads. The red alert was sounded within half an hour of the incident while the nearest border of Haryana is minimum 60 kms from Nabha. It would need atleast One hour fast driving to cross the border.
Now the questions are being raised about the involvement of certain highups in the conspiracy to free the gangsters from jail. If red alert was announced and all roads were sealed, how the eswcapees managed to crosss the border? Were they given safe passage to cross the border of Punjab?
While Palwinder Singh Pinda one of the mastermind in the jail break was arrested from Kairana in Shamlu district of Uttar Pradesh, the Khalistan terrorist Harminder Singh Mintoo was arrested from Delhi. The whereabouts of other gansters are not known yet. Pinda had jumped a police naka in Haryana and he was on way to Nepal but nabbed by alert Police in UP. Pintoo was also arrested on a tip off by a relative whome he had contacted in Delhi.
Moreover, no policeman posted in jail fired on the gangsters while they easily escaped. They even returned to find a railway gate locked and drive in friont of the ajil firing in the air. The policemen started firing in the air when the gansters fled from there.
The opposition Congress party has already blamed the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and revenue minister for facilitating the jail break and being part of the conspiracy. The way the gangsters and terrorist had crossed the Punajb border, the allegations have found substance in them. The PPCC Peresident Capt Amarinder Singh and CLP leader Charanjit Singh Channi have alleged that Akalis would use the gansters in the assembly elections.
The law and order situation in Punjab is already at the alarming stage. The state has witnessed many gang wars and some of the gangs allegedly enjoying the patronage of ruling politicians. The Punjab Police which is working under political pressure is unable to resolve many high profile cases of murder.
The RSS leader Jagdish Gagneja was atacked by two unidenrified miscreants in Jalandhar who died later. There is no clue of his killers. Chand Kaur wife of Namdhari sect head was killed on April 4 last but police failed to trace her killers. Sand Baba Jarnail Singh Dhadhrianwala was attacked and one of his accomplice was killed but the master mind behind the attack was not touched due to political pressure.
The brutal murder of Vibhu Jain a 12 year old boy of Malerkota who was beaten and burnt alive could not be solved by the police. The case was given to CBI on the orders of High Court.
The Nabha jail break is another failure added to cap of Punjab Police. Only recently the DGP suresh Arora was seen defending Punjab Police in a TV interview and he has described it a best police force in the country. But he has no argument that why Punjab Police failed to resolve high profile crime cases and being referred to CBI?