Chandigarh, June 8
A fugitive Chandigarh Police constable brutally murdered an inspector and critically injured a home guard volunteer opposite the Sector-17 police station in the early hours of today.

Inspector Sucha Singh (57), posted with the Traffic Police, was on night patrol along with his driver Jatinder Singh when they rounded up a couple on suspicion. The youth repeatedly stabbed the two before fleeing in the police Gypsy along with his female accomplice. The two later abandoned the vehicle.

The police has booked the suspended constable, Basant, alias Bunty, and his girlfriend Sarita for murder.

On April 18, Basant had committed a double murder in his hometown Sonepat and had been on the run along with his girl friend ever since. The Haryana Police had announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for their arrest.

Around 2.15 am, Sucha and Jatinder noticed the couple on foot opposite the police station and asked them about their antecedents but the two refused to reveal their identities.

The inspector rounded them up and put them in the Gypsy to take them to the police station for verification. The youth suddenly pulled out a knife and placed it against Sucha’s neck asking the driver to stop the vehicle. As the driver tried to intervene, the youth stabbed them multiple times in the chest, arms and stomach, leaving them critically injured.

As the injured policemen dropped out of the vehicle in a pool of blood, the youth drove off in the Gypsy.

Jatinder alerted the police control room and a hunt to nab the accused was launched.

Basant drove towards the Dakshin Marg and eavesdropped on the police conversations taking place on the wireless set installed in the Gypsy. This gave him vital information about the presence of police teams along the way and the exit points that had been sealed.

A constable of the cheetah squad (bike patrol) tried to intercept the accused on the Dhanas bridge, near Ambedkar colony, but the couple abandoned the Gypsy and fled into the forest area after hitting a dead end.

Inspector Sucha Singh was taken to the Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, from where he was referred to the PGI, where he died at 8 am. His post-mortem examination suggested that he was stabbed six times and his liver and kidneys were damaged.

UT Senior Superintendent of Police Naunihal Singh said teams had been dispatched to arrest the accused. The police said the couple was wanted for a double murder in Haryana and reacted violently on being caught. Jatinder identified the accused through a photograph. Sucha Singh is survived by his wife and a son and a daughter. His son had flown to Canada yesterday. He will return tomorrow for cremation.