New Delhi:
When it comes to hoodwinking the police and making an escape, Delhi's superchor Bunty seems to have got a competitor in Uttarakhand criminal Amit Malik. A month ago, Malik made an escape from the police custody when the cops were literally snoring in their beds.
The incident occurred in February when Malik was brought to Delhi by Uttarakhand Police as he was to be produced in two courts in the National Capital Region. According to an FIR, three personnel of Uttarakhand Police - head constable Parvinder Singh, head constable Rajender Prasad and constable AP Sudhanshu - had come to Delhi on February 9 with Amit Malik who was to be produced before Rohini court in the case under Arms Act (Section 411). The next day he was to be produced in Ghaziabad court in a robbery case and another case under Arms Act (Sections 392,482 and 411).
Sources in the Delhi Police said that the cops had to stay overnight in the city so as to reach Ghaziabad court next day. Taking advantage of this, Malik managed to convince the cops to halt at his place for the night as that would save them hotel expenditure and also time to reach the court as his house in Dilshad Garden was just a few kilometres away from the court. The cops fell for Malik's bait and put up at his house. However, in the morning they realised that as they were sleeping, Malik had given them a slip.
"Though the cops claimed that they had handcuffed Malik, it is possible that they might not have done so," the sources said. Delhi Police then booked the cops under section 223/224/34 (negligence of duty by public servant) and lodged a case at Seemapuri police station. Malik is still absconding and Delhi police are now trying to trace him and have managed to gather some information about his movements.
Senior officers of Delhi Police said that they have informed their Uttrakhand counterparts about the negligence and suggested an inquiry against the cops. When contacted, the senior Uttarakhand police officers were unavailable for comments. Malik has been involved in several robberies and other heinous cases in Uttrakhand too.
Superchor Bunty often used to hoodwink cops to evade his arrest. In one of the cases, when he was in a flat surrounded by the cops from special branch, he made a call to police control room, saying that some unknown people were trying to rob his house. Acting on the call, the police reached the spot and actually had a spat with the members of special branch (who were in plain clothes). Bunty nearly convinced the cops that he was not a thief and almost managed to escape. A Bollywood movie, Oye Lucky Lucky Oye, is believed to have some scenes based on his character.
Just 36 hours before the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony last year, the incharge of Delhi Police's elite commando unit SWAT had lost his service pistol. The area from where the gun was reported missing was, a few hundred metres from Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, the main venue for the Games and one of the most secured spots in the capital during the mega event. While the entire security establishment was at an all-time alert, the SWAT incharge was so careless as to go around the city with his gun wrapped in polythene hanging from the handle of his bike.