MOGA, MARCH 12, 2004:
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

An NRI facing trial in a court here, escaped from police custody on Wednesday night from civil hospital Moga where he was under treatment since February 27.

Though it is being alleged that some senior police officers were behind the escape, but a case has been registered against the constable who was to keep watch over the accused in the hospital.

Interestingly even the passport of the accused was not confiscated when he was arrested a month ago.

On March 22, 2000 a case was registered at Mehna police station against Harbir Singh, a citizen of Canada for duping a youth of Moga district in the name of sending him to Canada .

Harbir could not be arrested at that time as he was in Canada and a local court declared him proclaimed offender.

Harbir returned to India in January this year and Mehna police arrested him on February 9. He was produced before the judicial magistrate Moga on February 10 and was remanded in police custody till February 17. It is learnt that due to the intervention of a political leader of the area the police allowed the accused to keep his passport though according to legal experts the investigation officer was bound to confiscate the passport.

On February 17, Harbir was remanded to judicial custody in sub jail here. It is alleged that the accused managed to get him admitted in civil hospital Moga on February 27 with the alleged connivance of jail authorities. Sources revealed that Harbir enjoyed VIP facilities in the hospital. He was never tied to his bed as is invariably done with under trials and convicts who are admitted in hospitals. Some patients in the hospital told that liquor and non-veg food was provided to Harbir. He was also allowed to use his mobile phone.

The guard on duty came to know of Harbir’s escape at 10 PM on Wednesday. Senior superintendent of police MS Chhina said that the constable on duty had been booked for dereliction in duty and a separated inquiry entrusted to a DSP for establishing cause of not confiscating the accused’s passport.