CALGARY

The brief escape of an institutionalized killer in Calgary has sparked calls from a Wildrose critic for a review of government policy.

A day after revelations Ranjit Singh, who bludgeoned his father to death in 2009, managed to go on the lam and check into a northwest motel while on a supervised outing from the Southern Alberta Forensic Psychiatry Centre (SAFPC), the province is facing demands for more transparency.

Wildrose justice critic Shane Saskiw said the apparent cloud of silence over when and how often mentally ill patients with violent backgrounds are allowed to leave secure facilities, as well as how they're supervised, needs to be lifted.

"It's entirely unacceptable for a murderer to be walking our streets," Saskiw said Sunday. "We're going to be communicating with the justice minister (Jonathan Denis) and the health minister (Fred Horne) to see what protocols are in place to ensure something like this doesn't happen again."

Just after 8:30 p.m., Singh, 32, somehow managed to slip away from his escort, hailing a cab and checking into the Traveller's Inn Motel at 4611 16 Ave. N.W. about 90 minutes later.

Diagnosed as schizophrenic, Singh believed a demon was harassing him and he was engaged in "spiritual warfare" prior to killing his father, Harinder, 60, in the family's northeast home.

A judge determined he was not criminally responsible and unable to determine his actions were morally wrong.

An Alberta Health Services spokesman wouldn't comment to QMI Agency on Saturday about how Singh managed to dodge his escort, where he was going or what security protocols were in place, citing privacy concerns.

Jason Morton said there will be an internal review but its results will not be made public.

But Saskiw said that's not good enough if it means there could be a repeat of the latest escape.

"The safety of the public is paramount and they should at least provide general guidelines and protocols," he said.

Josh Stewart, Denis' press secretary, said the involvement of the justice department with those deemed not criminally responsible ends at making recommendations for their custody to the Alberta Mental Health Board.

"We make presentations to the Mental Health Review Board on the level of supervision," he said, adding those recommendations could include suggesting law enforcement officials supervise outings.

"It's up to AHS (Alberta Health Services) for how to do those visits and the security used."

Stewart added while the justice ministry may participate in the AHS review, they won't be taking a second look at their own policies.

After police corralled Singh at the motel shortly after he checked in, he was sent back to the SAFPC where he continues to be treated.

shawn.logan@sunmedia.ca

On Twitter: @SUNShawnLogan