Armed men storm Nabha Jail, take away KLF chief Harminder Mintoo

CHANDIGARH | NEW DELHI: Armed men posing as policemen stormed a high-security jail in Punjab and freed Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) Chief Harminder Singh Mintoo and five others, in a major embarrassment to the government in the election-bound state.

Harminder Singh Mintoo is accused in 10 terror-related cases. He was arrested in 2014 at the Delhi airport while travelling on a fake passport.

On Sunday morning, the armed men drove into the Nabha jail in Patiala, reportedly fired at the security men and escaped with Mintoo and the others. Police tried to chase them and fired at a vehicle that they suspected was carrying some of the escaped prisoners. A 24-year-old woman was killed in the firing.

Later in the day, Uttar Pradesh Police claimed to have arrested one of the armed men involved in the jailbreak, PTI reported. Police said they have recovered a self-loading rifle and three other firearms from him.

The incident has led to political mudslinging, with the opposition Congress and Aam Aadmi Party accusing the Shiromani Akali Dal-led government of complicity in the jailbreak. The government, meanwhile, shifted the blame on to Pakistan.

The AAP demanded the immediate resignation of Sukhbir Badal, the deputy chief minister who is in charge of home affairs. Sukhbir Singh Badal spoke to NSA Ajit Doval and apprised him of the details of the incident and updated him on the steps being taken to apprehend the culprits.

Mintoo was accused of masterminding a 2008 attack on Sirsa Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, and was allegedly involved in the planting of IED explosives at Halwara Air Force station in 2010.

Intelligence agencies have, meanwhile, alerted airports, international checkpoints and ports with details of Mintoo as they fear he may try to leave the country. Agencies are also looking at the finances for planning the jailbreak ahead of the state elections.