Indian Police Recapture 17 Prisoners After Daring Punjab Jailbreak Operation

All seventeen prisoners who escaped from a high-security facility in Nabha, Punjab, have been successfully recaptured, authorities confirmed. The operation concluded within 36 hours of the initial breakout, which saw the fugitives, including notorious gangster Harminder Singh Mintoo, flee the prison.

The jailbreak unfolded when a convoy of armed men, disguised in police uniforms, stormed the Nabha Jail. They reportedly fired indiscriminately, overwhelming guards and facilitating the escape. Among those who fled was Harminder Singh Mintoo, the alleged chief of the Khalistan Liberation Force, who was facing charges related to terrorism and arms smuggling. He had been apprehended by Indian intelligence services in 2014 from Bangkok.

Mintoo was subsequently apprehended at a railway station in Delhi, approximately 150 miles from the prison. The remaining escapees were traced and brought back into custody following a widespread manhunt involving multiple law enforcement agencies. This incident has raised significant questions regarding prison security protocols in the region and the capacity of the state to manage such high-profile detainees.