A jail inmate trying to escape custody was shot dead after he allegedly attacked a police constable with a sharp-edged weapon outside a hospital in Hoshiarpur on Saturday. The constable, who suffers from asthma, was injured during the incident.
Senior Superintendent of Police Sandeep Kumar Malik said the incident took place around 1.30 pm when four cops had brought three inmates from Central Jail, Hoshiarpur, to the Civil Hospital for a routine medical check-up. After the medical examination, the police team was escorting the inmates back to jail when one of them, identified as Nasib Singh, allegedly attempted to escape despite being handcuffed, the SSP said.
Police said senior constable Jasdeep Singh, who has asthma, was accompanying Nasib Singh in an e-rickshaw towards the ambulance when the inmate suddenly tried to run away.
Jasdeep Singh managed to catch him, but Nasib Singh reportedly attacked the cop with a sharp-edged weapon, causing injuries to his face, hand and leg. “During the struggle, the inmate also tried to snatch the constable’s service weapon,” Malik told mediapersons at the hospital.
“In self-defence and to stop him from escaping, the constable first fired a warning shot on the ground. However, the accused continued resisting. Both fell during the scuffle, and the inmate again tried to grab the weapon. The constable then fired multiple rounds from his service revolver, some of which struck the inmate,” Malik said.
The injured inmate was immediately taken to the hospital but later died during treatment, police said. His body has been kept in the mortuary of the Civil Hospital. Officials said the injured constable has been admitted to the hospital and is currently out of danger. Police added that the inmate was carrying a sharp-edged weapon, and a probe has been launched to find out how he managed to obtain it.
“We will investigate from where he got the weapon, whether he picked it up outside the jail premises or if someone assisted him,” Malik said.
According to initial findings, Nasib Singh was involved in several criminal cases, including murder, attempt to murder and offences under the NDPS Act, and was also a convicted prisoner, the SSP said. Malik further stated that the inmate’s father, Shashi Kumar, is also lodged in jail linked with murder and NDPS-related cases.
Police said further probe into the incident is currently underway.
Also read: Gurdaspur SDM arrested in Rs 1.63-cr highway land scam
Follow us
