Armed attackers in police uniform reportedly stormed a high-security jail in Nabha in Punjab this morning and freed a militant leader and four other inmates who were lodged in the jail.
A group of around ten men carrying guns attacked the jail after first knifing the guard at the front gate of the jail early Sunday morning. The attackers freed Harminder Singh Mintoo, head of militant group Khalistan Liberation Force, and four others.
The attackers reportedly fired rounds in the air and at the jail staff, injuring two guards.
Harminder Singh Mintoo (Middle) with other jail inmates. Source: India Today
Punjab government has suspended the Director General, Prisons, Sanjiv Gupta and the superintendent and the deputy superintendent of Nabha jail have also been sacked.
A high alert has been sounded throughout Punjab and the borders with neighbouring states have been sealed.
Punjab’s deputy chief minister, Sukhbir Badal said a special task force of the police has been constituted to investigate the matter. But the opposition parties have termed the incident as a major failure of the state apparatus.
Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh said accused the Shiromani Akali Dal-led government of orchestrating the jailbreak. He said the Akalis wan't disrupt the peace during the upcoming state assembly election.
#punjabjailbreak points to complete law & order breakdown in the state. Concerned about major mischief this will play in upcoming elections pic.twitter.com/Qosl6O4ygv — Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) November 27, 2016
CCTV footage released by Punjab Govt. Armed men helped to released them. Proud of you. #Nabhajailbreak #Nabha pic.twitter.com/ArNyHyPYtU — Gurleen Kaur (@Gur_leen) November 27, 2016
Harminder Singh Mintoo was arrested in November 2014 after a joint operation by Indian and Malaysian agencies to bring him back to India from Malaysia. His arrest was hailed as a significant success against the pro-Khalistani militancy.
