Perhaps inspired by yesterday’s sensational escape of a notorious criminal near Ludhiana, another criminal managed to escape from police custody today.

Only, besides guns and knives, his accomplices used red chilli powder to stun the cops accompanying the prisoner.

Three police personnel were injured in the process, one of them critically.

Dilbagh Singh, alias Bagga, facing charges of theft and attempt to murder, also booked under theArms Act and NDPS Act, was being taken to Nakodar for a hearing from Kapurthala Central Jail.

Three cops, including head constables Labh Singh and Sukwinder Singh and constable Balkar Singh were accompanying him.

The party was travelling in a PRTC bus. Five accomplices of Bagga were also in the same bus. A Tavera, which was used by the criminal to escape, was ahead of the bus. When the bus reached Jallowal village, one person (who was later identified as an accomplice of Bagga ) asked the driver to stop the bus, but the driver refused.

Later, when the bus stopped at the designated stop in the village, four of Bagga’s accomplices threw red chilli powder in the eyes of the three cops and ran towards the Tavera vehicle along with Bagga.

To the credit of the cops, they gave chase to the criminals despite the acute discomfort in their eyes. However, the criminals fired at the cops, which they narrowly dodged.

Head Constable Labh Singh kept on after the criminals despite the firing and was attacked with sharp-edged weapons. He was critically injured and his fingers were severed. The injured cops have been referred to CMC, Ludhiana.