Amritsar, May 30
In a daring escape, six unidentified armed accomplices of notorious criminal Gurpal Singh Pala today succeeded in rescuing him from police custody by throwing red chillies in the eyes of the police party while he was being brought to the district court complex for trial in a theft case.

In the process, they also carried along the SPO with whom Pala was tied up on his belt who was later thrown out about half kilometre from the complex after untying the accused.

The speeding Sumo in which they were fleeing collided with a school van belonging to Khalsa International School, Ranjit Avenue, on the Amritsar-Ajnala road, injuring about 10 children. Most of the children were discharged after treatment at a nearby private hospital. A student, who received a head injury and was still in the hospital.

Police parties immediately swung into action and chased the vehicle and with the help of people caught hold of two of them within two hours as they had abandoned the damaged vehicle on the Fatehgarh-Churian bypass road while five others, including Pala, managed to escape. The two were identified as Gurpreet Singh Majbi and Sikandar Singh, both residents of Muradpura in Tarn Taran.

Gurpal Singh Pala, a resident of Guru Nanak Colony in Heir village, near Rajasansi, is a notorious criminal wanted in many theft and looting cases in Amritsar and other neighbouring bordering areas.

His group had been waiting outside the court complex. On the pretext of getting some money from his accomplices, Pala had requested the police party to take him outside the court complex. As soon as they reached near the vehicle, his companions threw red chillies at the policemen and put the SPO of the policemen in the getaway vehicle while immobilising the other policemen.

Mr R.P.S. Brar, SSP, said the police had recovered a .315 bore pistol, one dagger and a Tata Sumo in hunt to trace the escaped undertrial and his companions.