On Wednesday (25th February), the Punjab police shot dead one of the main accused and arrested another in connection with the murder of two cops in Gurdaspur, located close to the India-Pakistan border.
The youth who was killed in the encounter has been identified as 19-year-old Ranjit Singh from Adhian village. Another accused, 21-year-old Dilawer Singh from Alinangal village, has been arrested.
The third associate of these two, 20-year-old Inderjit Singh from Adhian village, is still absconding.
According to police officials, the three had been recruited by Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI and were promised money to carry out the attack.
How the encounter happened
DIG (Border Range) Sandeep Goel told the media in Gurdaspur that Ranjit Singh was arrested from his village early in the morning. He was being taken to recover the pistol used in the murders. On the way, the police jeep overturned near Gahlri village because of the thick fog, and Ranjit managed to escape.
A few hours later, a police team headed by CIA SHO Gurmeet Singh spotted him riding a motorcycle near Puranashala. When asked to stop, his motorcycle skidded, and he fell down. According to police, he then opened fire at the team. The police fired back, injuring him. He was taken to Gurdaspur Civil Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. SHO Gurmeet Singh was also injured during the firing.
According to sources, the accident in the jeep occurred around 3 am, and the encounter took place around 6 am in a different area, several kilometres away. When questioned about how Ranjit had managed to get hold of a motorcycle and a pistol after escaping, the DIG said the matter is under investigation, and answers will be presented in court
What happened on February 22
The incident took place on 22nd February when the dead bodies of Assistant Sub-Inspector Gurnam Singh and Home Guard Ashok Kumar were found inside a police checkpost at Adhian village, which is just a kilometre away from the Pakistan border. The police checkpost acts as a second line of defence, along with the Border Security Force (BSF).
Both officers were in their early fifties and had gunshot injuries. Six empty cartridges were recovered from the spot.
The bodies were discovered after Dorangala SHO Banarasi Das failed to contact them and informed the village sarpanch, Kamaljit Singh. The sarpanch reached the post at 8 am and found that the two officers were dead. One of the officers was found to be sitting near a heater, while the other was found to be lying on a cot under a quilt.
The CCTV cameras installed on the road were not functioning at the time.
Terror Claim and Political Reactions
A group calling itself Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan (TTH) later claimed responsibility for the attack through posters on social media and warned police personnel. Punjab Police stated that the group has no known presence in the state and might be trying to mislead the investigation.
DGP Gaurav Yadav condoled the families, and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced ₹1 crore compensation for each family.
The police are still investigating all aspects of the attack, including terror connections, gangster involvement, and cross-border connections.
