The Punjab and Haryana High Court has denied bail to a police officer accused of aiding a gangster, allegedly involved in the murder of Shubhdeep Singh alias Sidhu Moosewala, to escape from police custody, as reported by the State Bureau in Chandigarh.

Justice Harsimran Singh Sethi remarked, "The petitioner's duty is to uphold law and order and protect citizens from miscreants. However, despite being in the police department, the petitioner's actions have not only gone against the department's interests but also compromised the safety of the general public, whom the petitioner is sworn to protect."

The allegations against the petitioner are extremely grave. The Court noted that it is established from the CCTV footage on record that the petitioner was captured transporting the gangster from the police station to his personal residence in his private vehicle, facilitating the gangster's escape from police custody.

The court said that the duty of the petitioner was to interrogate the undertrial prisoner in the police station, so that the truth behind the allegations leveled against him could be ascertained. The petitioner Preetpal Singh, who was posted as Sub-Inspector at that time, faces serious allegations. A case was registered against him in Mansa district.

His counsel argued that the petitioner is behind the bars and has undergone imprisonment for a period of one year and one month and hence he should be granted regular bail.

Opposing the bail, the Government argued that the petitioner was a police officer who was handed over the custody of an undertrial gangster for interrogation, but the petitioner helped the said undertrial gangster Deepak alias Tinu to escape.