“It was found that the policemen escorting Badan Singh did not follow the given route. While returning back to jail, they deviated from the route and took him to Meerut," the SP said. (Representational)

Five constables were Sunday dismissed from service for helping gangster Badan Singh alias Baddo escape from their custody while being taken to Fatehgarh central jail from a Ghaziabad court in March 2019.

Fatehgarh Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar Mishra dismissed the constables on the basis of a departmental inquiry ordered last year.

“It was found that the policemen escorting Badan Singh did not follow the given route. While returning back to jail, they deviated from the route and took him to Meerut,” the SP said.

The dismissed constables are Santosh Kumar, Sunil Singh, Raj Kumar, Omveer Singh and Bhupendra Singh and were posted at Fatehgarh police lines after their suspension last year. Sub-inspector Deshraj Tyagi, who was heading the escort team, was dismissed from services on July 31 this year.

Singh (52), a native of Meerut, is still on the run and a Rs 2.5 lakh bounty has been awarded for providing clues leading to his arrest. With 42 cases, including seven murders, lodged against him, he was awarded life imprisonment for killing advocate Rajendra Pal in Noida in 1996.

On March 28, 2019, the six-member police team was tasked to take the gangster to a Ghaziabad court for appearance in a case. After his appearance, the team took him to a hotel in Meerut where his accomplices organised a liquor party. Singh escaped from the hotel.

A case was lodged at Brahmpuri police station against the policemen, Singh and his accomplices. All the six policemen were arrested, sent to jail and suspended. They were later released on bail. “All accused except Badan Singh and his son Sikandar were arrested and charge-sheeted. A court has declared the father-son duo proclaimed offenders,” said Brahmpuri Station House Officer Subhash Attri.