‘Cool Dude’ angle to gangster’s escape

CHANDIGARH: Police are probing the angle that a member of the recently busted ‘Cool Dude’ gang, Rajbir Singh, may have helped fugitive gangster Rajan Bhatti escape from the district courts complex in Sector 43 on October 13, sources in know of the probe into the case have told TOI.
The sources said that Rajbir, son of a Chandigarh Police constable, and Bhatti had developed a strong friendship during their time spent in Model Burail Jail, and this was why they suspected that Rajbir was also involved in the escape.Rajbir, a resident of Derabassi who was arrested along with fellow gang members Rattan Lubana and Amitoz Singh for allegedly extorting money from schoolchildren in December last year, was granted bail two weeks ago.
Police also suspect that Bhatti’s accomplices Sunny and Poonam might have been a part of the escape plan. “The inputs we have gotten from jail reveal that Rajbir and Bhatti were close and that Rajbir had also come to meet Bhatti in prison after he was released on regular bail,” the sources added.
A senior police official said raids are being conducted for arresting Rajbir and Sunny. Poonam, who had handed a mobile phone to Bhatti inside the court complex, was remanded in judicial custody on Thursday. Meanwhile, police are also keeping a close watch on the woman friends of Bhatti, who is facing about 15 cases of murder, attempt to murder, rape, attempt to rape, and assault, in Chandigarh and Punjab.
Bhatti is the fifth accused who has escaped from police custody while being produced at the district courts complex in the last one month. On September 23, four notorious burglars, including Abrar Khan, Shahna Alam, Pankaj and Vicky, had escaped after scaling the long sewerage pipeline from inside the lockup at the district court complex.
The sources said Bhatti was handcuffed and being taken to court by constable Harbans Singh when the gangster pushed him and escaped using the back gate of the court complex.
Son of a policeman in Punjab, Bhatti had allegedly fired bullets on a police sub-inspector Ashok Kumar and DSP Jagbir Singh of the crime branch, when a trap was laid to nab him near a discotheque in Sector 9. Bhatti hails from Gurdaspur.