Jammu, February 18, 2026 : Security agencies have intensified the manhunt for a gangster who escaped from a juvenile home in the border area of R.S. Pura, Jammu, even as five suspected persons have been detained for questioning, officials said on Wednesday.
The escape incident involved local gangster Karajeet Singh, a resident of Dablehar in R.S. Pura, along with two Pakistani nationals — Mohammad Suna-ullah (20) and Ahsan Anwar (21). The trio allegedly attacked on-duty police personnel and fled the juvenile home around 5:00 pm on Monday, February 16, leaving two cops injured.
While the two Pakistani nationals were arrested within 20 hours near Ambala railway station in Haryana on Tuesday as they were allegedly attempting to travel towards Nepal, Karajeet Singh remains at large.
Officials said Singh is believed to be the mastermind behind the escape. Multiple special police teams have been deployed to conduct raids at several locations within and outside Jammu to track him down. Singh’s mother is also reportedly missing from her residence and is suspected to be accompanying him.
A purported video circulating on social media, allegedly showing Singh — said to be linked with the ‘Khauff’ gang — firing a few rounds inside the juvenile home, has raised serious public concern.
Authorities confirmed that five individuals who were in regular contact with Singh during his stay at the juvenile home have been detained for sustained questioning as part of the investigation.
Singh was earlier arrested along with nearly a dozen accused in connection with the murder of rival gang leader Sumit Jandiyal in the Jewel Chowk area of Jammu in January last year and was subsequently lodged in the juvenile home.
In the wake of the incident, six police personnel, including an assistant sub-inspector, have been placed under suspension for alleged dereliction of duty. A departmental inquiry is underway.
Police have registered an FIR under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita — including attempt to murder, assault on public servants, escape from lawful custody and organised crime — along with Sections 3 and 25 of the Arms Act related to unauthorised possession and use of firearms.
The manhunt continues as security agencies maintain heightened vigil across the region.
