A Mansa court in Punjab on Tuesday framed charges against nine accused in the gangster Deepak alias Tinu escape case.

Tinu, who is an accused in rapper Sidhu Moose Wala murder case, had escaped from the residential quarters of then sub-inspector Pritpal Singh on Oct 1, 2022, during police custody. Those charged by the court of judicial magistrate 1st class Karan Aggarwal include former CIA in-charge (Mansa) and sacked sub-inspector Pritpal Singh.

An illegal weapon was also recovered from the residential quarter of the sacked SI, who was investigating Deepak and had taken him to his residence from Mansa City1 police station without any jurisdiction.

The court on Tuesday framed charges against the nine accused under sections 222, 224, 225A, 212, 216, 120B of the IPC and 25, 54, 59 of the Arms Act and posted the matter for Sept 5 for prosecution evidence.

The charges have not been framed against accused Sarabjot Singh as he failed to turn up in the court, prosecution counsel Satinder Singh Mittal said.

A single bench of the Punjab and Haryana high court, headed by Justice Harsimran Singh Sethi, while dismissing the plea for regular bail of Pritpal Singh on July 11, had directed the trial court that all efforts be made to conclude the trial within a period of six months from the next date of hearing even if short adjournments are to be given and the presence of the witnesses is to be secured by passing coercive orders.