Bokaro, Nov. 17: Pravin Singh, the mastermind in facilitating extortionist Lucky Sharma’s escape from Chas jail in August, was arrested from Lakhisarai in Bihar.

The arrest and the subsequent confession of Pravin that Lucky, a terror for traders in Bihar and Jharkhand, had been shot dead by him and his aides have come as a relief to Bokaro police.

Bokaro police, with co-operation from their counterparts in Bihar, on Thursday arrested Pravin, who returned to his sister’s home at Mehsara village in Lakhisarai after killing Lucky in Hissar in Haryana. Lucky’s aides also burnt the body beyond recognition after shooting him in the Haryana town on September 4. A case (718/07) was lodged in Hissar police station and Bokaro sub-inspector Chetananand Sinha, who went to Hissar, confirmed that it was Lucky’s body.

Pravin, who was brought to Bokaro today, admitted that he had bribed policemen on duty at Chas jail on August 20 to take Lucky out with his four associates.

According to Bokaro superintendent of police Priya Dubey, the dreaded extortionist, whose monthly income from rangdari was estimated to be Rs 50 lakh, was first taken to Calcutta via Purulia and Asansol for treatment of bullet wounds in his stomach. But after four days, he was shifted to Gaya in Bihar as his condition deteriorated. In Gaya, the injured criminal was allegedly operated upon by surgeon Vijay Sharma on August 24.

Fearing arrest, the gang went to Hissar, where Lucky called upon his wife to deposit Rs 3 lakh in his bank account so that it could be withdrawn later from ATM. Soon after, Lucky asked his friends to buy a Scorpio to celebrate the release of the jailed don.

According to Pravin, an altercation took place among them over the booty and on September 4 Lucky was shot dead.

Pravin told reporters today that after killing Lucky, he went to Lakhisarai after a short stay at Ludhiana, and was working for his sister Kiran Singh as driver when the Bokaro police arrested him.

“With Lucky being killed and his aides, including Dhoomal Singh, in jail, the rangdari gang will be pushed to the back foot,” said Dubey.