A criminal identified as Gurjeet Singh, injured in a shootout with the police on Monday while undergoing treatment at district civil hospital, escaped from police custody on Friday night.The accused, a Delhi native, was admitted in ward 314 of the hospital and was being treated for bullet injuries sustained in the shootout. (HT File)The accused, a Delhi native, was admitted in ward 314 of the hospital and was being treated for bullet injuries sustained in the shootout. While the police offered no official comment, sources said he escaped in the presence of about four officers, taking advantage of the darkness during a brief power outage caused by a thunderstorm.Officiating principal medical officer (PMO), Karnal district civil hospital, Dr Balwan Singh, said the accused had been admitted since the night of May 25 due to a bullet injury he suffered during the encounter.“The incident happened between 12pm and 12.30am. We have shared the CCTV footage with the police and are assisting them in their probe,” he added.Singh, a notorious criminal was injured near Sheikhpura Suhana village near Karnal-Meerut NH, days after he allegedly opened fire during a robbery attempt at a petrol pump in Taraori town earlier this month.The wanted accused, who also carried a reward on his head, had become a major challenge for Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh police after allegedly executing around 10 robberies in Karnal, Kurukshetra, Sonepat, Palwal and other places.