The Punjab Police, on Tuesday, has arrested three persons allegedly involved in facilitating the escape of Gangster Deepak Tinu from police custody in Mansa. The police have also recovered a Black Skoda car bearing registration number PB11CJ1563, which was used in the crime, from their possession.

Those arrested have been identified as Kuldeep Singh alias Kohli, Rajveer Singh alias Kazama and Rajinder Singh alias Gora, all residents of Ludhiana. Kuldeep Kohli is a gym owner and was into the business of drugs under the garb of running a gym.

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The Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav said that an ongoing investigation revealed the trio was close associates of Tinu and they had helped Tinu escape from police custody, following which the Anti Gangster Task Force (AGTF) and Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Punjab Police have arrested them from Ludhiana.

He said that the investigations revealed on 1 October, Tinu had directed Kohli to send a woman associate, who helped in Tinu’s escape along with his allies at Mansa police’s Crime Investigation Agency’s (CIA).

Rajveer Singh along with his accomplice identified as Gagandeep Khaira of Ludhiana picked a woman accomplice from Zirakpur and dropped her near CIA Mansa along with a bag of clothes provided by Kohli, he said, adding that the Police teams are on a manhunt to nab Gagandeep.

The DGP said accused Kuldeep Kohli has remained associated with Deepak Tinu for the last two years, when they both were lodged in Kapurthala Jail. Kohli was released on bail in 2021, following which he along with Tinu’s other Haryana-based associates indulged in cross-border drug smuggling, he said.

Meanwhile, the four-member SIT headed by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Patiala range MS Chhina is conducting a day-to-day investigation into this case and all the culprits involved in this crime will be arrested soon.

A key accused in the Sidhu Moosewala murder case, gangster Tinu managed to escape from police custody on 2 October when he was with Pritpal Singh, incharge of the CIA unit of police in Mansa.

The investigation has revealed that the now-sacked sub-inspector allegedly took Tinu in his private car to his official residence and allowed the gangster to meet his girlfriend while he went into another room. Tinu escaped from the house taking advantage of the absence of any kind of security. The Punjab Police has already dismissed and apprehended Pritpal Singh. Tinu’s alleged girlfriend was arrested from the Mumbai airport on Monday.