Meerut, March 29: In a major embarrassment for the Uttar Pradesh police department, a criminal escaped from custody after taking cops, who were escorting him to a Ghaziabad court, to a liquor party. The absconding gangster has been identified as Baddan Singh alias Baddo, a 50-year-old criminal facing a life sentence for killing a lawyer in 1996. Baddo faces nearly a dozen cases including those of murder and dacoity.

Cops were taking Baddo to a court in Ghaziabad in connection with the hearing of a case on Thursday afternoon. During the journey, the gangster took cops to a liquor party thrown by his accomplices at a hotel on Dehli road in Meerut. When cops got drunk, Baddo fled. "Six police officials and three civilians have been arrested in the case. An investigation is underway," Nitin Tiwari, Senior Superintendent of Police, Meerut, told news agency ANI. Gangster's Aide Held, UP Cops Booked for 'Facilitating' Talks with Jailed Boss.

According to Anil Kumar Mishra, Farrukhabad Senior Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch officer Sanjay Mishra will investigate the matter and submit the report. After his arrest last year, Badoo was kept in Meerut jail for nearly one month. Later, he was shifted to Fatehgarh jail in Farrukhabad district after the prison authorities apprehended threat to his life from his accomplices.

Baddo was arrested in connection with the murder of a lawyer, Ravindra Gurjar, in Meerut near the collectorate in 1996 following a rivalry over village panchayat elections. Last month, he moved an application seeking parole to meet his son Sikandar, who is pursuing an MBA in Australia and had come for one month in Meerut, reports Indian Express quoting his lawyer.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 29, 2019 10:31 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).