Ludhiana Police faced major embarrassment today regarding the case of inter-state arms smugglers—who had previously been apprehended outside ‘Hotel Cops’ on Ferozepur Road with a foreign-made revolver, a state-of-the-art pistol, and a Fortuner car bearing a fake Bihar registration plate—when a cunning accused managed to give the police party the slip and escape during a medical examination at the Civil Hospital. The accused, Vipin Kumar, shoved Senior Constable Manpreet Singh hard near the hospital laboratory and, taking advantage of the heavy crowd of patients and attendants, fled the scene while still handcuffed. Following this serious lapse, the Division No. 2 police have registered a fresh case against the fugitive accused for escaping from official custody.
**Police had brought the accused to Civil Hospital under tight security**
Providing details of the incident, Investigating Officer Sub-Inspector (SI) Purushottam Lal stated that, in accordance with procedure, a joint police team comprising SI Purushottam Lal, Senior Constable Manpreet Singh (No. 2972/Ludhiana), and Punjab Home Guard jawan Kirandeep Singh had brought the three accused to Civil Hospital, Ludhiana, under tight security for a mandatory medical examination prior to seeking judicial remand. While the various medical tests and procedures were underway inside the hospital, Senior Constable Manpreet Singh took the accused, Vipin Kumar, near the hospital laboratory.
**Cunning accused plotted escape in the blink of an eye**
As soon as Senior Constable Manpreet Singh unlocked the handcuffs on Vipin Kumar’s hands—acting on the instructions of the doctor and lab staff to collect test samples—the cunning accused instantly devised a plan to escape. As soon as his handcuffs were removed, the accused, Vipin Kumar, shoved Senior Constable Manpreet Singh hard in the chest with all his might; the constable lost his balance and narrowly avoided falling. Before the police team could recover, Vipin Kumar—taking advantage of the heavy crowd of patients, doctors, and attendants in the Civil Hospital’s OPD ward and corridors—bolted at lightning speed and managed to escape the hospital premises.
**Strict Blockades Across the City**
News of an arms smuggler brazenly escaping from a sensitive and busy location like the Civil Hospital caused a stir among senior officials of the Ludhiana Police Commissionerate. PCR and CIA teams were immediately alerted, and strict blockades were set up at all city exit points, the bus stand, and the railway station. Based on the written statement of Sub-Inspector Purushottam Lal and the report filed by Senior Constable Manpreet Singh, a fresh FIR has been registered against Vipin Kumar at Police Station Division No. 2 on charges of escaping custody and obstructing a public servant in the discharge of duty. Senior officials stated that while teams are conducting raids to apprehend the accused, a departmental inquiry is also underway to examine the conduct of the on-duty police personnel and determine if any security lapse or negligence occurred in the matter.
