On 22nd February, two policemen were found dead with gunshot injuries inside a police check post barely a kilometre from the India-Pakistan border in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district. The incident has triggered serious security concerns in the sensitive belt. Posters attributed to a little-known terrorist outfit calling itself Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan (TTH) claimed responsibility for the murders. However, Punjab Police have dismissed the claims as unverified and possibly diversionary. Police are probing the matter from all possible angles.
Bodies found inside border outpost
The incident took place at the Dorangala police post in Adhian village, which falls under the Dorangala police station. It functions as a second line of defence in co-ordination with the Border Security Force (BSF). The post is situated close to a BSF outpost.
The deceased police personnel have been identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Gurnam Singh and Home Guard Ashok Kumar. Both were in their early fifties. According to media reports, six used cartridges were recovered from the scene.
The incident came to light only after the Dorangala SHO, Banarasi Das, repeatedly failed to contact the two personnel and alerted village sarpanch Kamaljit Singh. The sarpanch reached the outpost at around 8 am and found both men lying motionless with gunshot wounds.
Scene suggests targeted killing
Describing the scene, the sarpanch said the ASI appeared to be seated upright near a heater with both hands in his pockets. He was visibly bleeding from his ear and below one eye. The second policeman was lying under a quilt on a cot with a gunshot wound to his head, as if he had been asleep when the assailant or assailants killed him. He said, “At first glance, nothing looked unusual. But a closer look told a completely different story.”
Notably, the room where the bodies were found reportedly had no door. Although CCTV cameras were installed on the road leading to the post, they had not been functional for some time. Police have registered a case against unknown persons and sealed the area. Forensic teams and technical units are examining the site.
Mutual firing theory questioned
Earlier, there were reports suggesting that the two policemen had shot each other. However, senior officers clarified that all angles are being probed and no conclusion has been drawn.
Lok Sabha MP from Gurdaspur and former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa demanded an independent probe by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. He cited a video clip allegedly showing a rifle placed behind a bed, arguing that it would have been physically impossible for it to have been used in a mutual shootout.
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia also called for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe, sharing visuals from the crime scene and questioning the state government’s handling of security.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring cautioned against speculation but flagged the vulnerability of the border region. Recalling the 2016 Pathankot terror attack and earlier incidents in Gurdaspur, he said the possibility of cross-border infiltration cannot be brushed aside. “If drones can carry drugs, they can also carry weapons,” he remarked.
TTH claimed responsibility, police sceptical
On Sunday evening, posters circulated on social media in Hindi and English in which an outfit calling itself Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan claimed responsibility for the killings and threatened further attacks against police personnel. The poster urged police personnel to resign or face becoming the outfit’s target.
Punjab Police officials, however, dismissed the claim. Senior officers said the group has no known presence in Punjab or elsewhere in India. A counter-intelligence official described TTH as an unfamiliar organisation and said its authenticity is being verified.
One officer indicated that the poster could be a deliberate attempt to mislead investigators. Security experts note that fringe or obscure outfits often claim responsibility for high-profile attacks to gain attention and spread fear.
In a social media post, DGP Punjab Police Gaurav Yadav expressed condolences and said that the Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann, had announced an ex gratia amount of Rs 1 crore each for the families of the police personnel.
Our brave police officers, ASI Gurnam Singh and PHG Ashok Kumar of district #Gurdaspur, have laid down their lives in the line of duty.@PunjabPoliceInd stands firmly with the bereaved families in this hour of grief. Hon’ble Chief Minister has announced an ex-gratia amount of… pic.twitter.com/HkjYFsFHTP
— DGP Punjab Police (@DGPPunjabPolice) February 23, 2026
Probe widens, suspects traced on CCTV
DIG Border Range Sandeep Goel said in a statement that investigators are examining all possible angles, including terror links, gangster involvement, personal enmity and cross-border connections. He added that the police have vital clues and expressed hope that the case would be cracked soon.
Media reports suggest that the police are on the lookout for five individuals seen riding two motorcycles near the site. These persons were captured on CCTV cameras installed at various locations in the vicinity.
Gurdaspur and neighbouring Pathankot districts have a history of terror strikes, including the 2015 Dinanagar police station attack and the 2016 Pathankot Air Force Station attack, in which terrorists reportedly came via the international border in Gurdaspur.
