A 55-year-old assistant sub-inspector of the Punjab Police's counter-intelligence wing was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants while returning home after duty late on Sunday evening, the latest in a string of attacks on police personnel in the state this year.
Iqbal Singh, a resident of Naushera Pannuan near Tarn Taran, was gunned down between 6:15 pm and 6:30 pm on Louhka Road in Tarn Taran district. Tarn Taran SSP Surendra Lamba said the ASI was followed by the two assailants, who fired two to three bullets at him. Singh sustained at least two bullet injuries and died on the spot. The attackers fled and had not been identified, though police said they had some leads.
Targeted killing suspected
According to police, Singh had been driving back after what officials described as a private visit and was not in uniform. Investigators are probing whether the murder is connected to the killing of his nephew, Ajmeet Singh, an accused in the 2022 Sarhali police station RPG attack case, who was shot dead in Naushera Pannuan on September 11 while out on bail.
Police are examining a social media post in which a group of gangsters purportedly claimed responsibility for the killing, hinting at a revenge attack over the murder of a sarpanch and an alleged link to a rival gangster. "There is a high probability this was a targeted killing by an organised crime network. We are investigating the case from all angles," the SSP said.
Opposition attacks Mann government
Singh is the fifth policeman to be murdered in Punjab this year, following the killings of ASI Gurnam Singh and home guard Ashok Kumar in Gurdaspur in February, ASI Joga Singh in Majitha in May, and ASI Harjit Singh in Amritsar in September. Two other ASIs survived murder attempts in the past month.
The killing drew sharp attacks from opposition parties. Former state Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said "Punjab is bleeding, and Bhagwant Mann's government has serious questions to answer," while Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon said the Aam Aadmi Party government had "completely failed on the law and order front." SAD functionary Bikram Singh Majithia accused the chief minister of being "busy criticizing opponents and entertaining people with jokes while murderers continue to ambush and attack our police personnel."
Sources:
- The Times of India: ASI gunned down in Tarn Taran; 5th cop to be murdered in Punjab this year
- NDTV: Punjab Cop Shot Dead While Returning Home After Duty, 2nd Incident In 2 Weeks
Iqbal Singh, a resident of Naushera Pannuan near Tarn Taran, was gunned down between 6:15 pm and 6:30 pm on Louhka Road in Tarn Taran district. Tarn Taran SSP Surendra Lamba said the ASI was followed by the two assailants, who fired two to three bullets at him. Singh sustained at least two bullet injuries and died on the spot. The attackers fled and had not been identified, though police said they had some leads.
Targeted killing suspected
According to police, Singh had been driving back after what officials described as a private visit and was not in uniform. Investigators are probing whether the murder is connected to the killing of his nephew, Ajmeet Singh, an accused in the 2022 Sarhali police station RPG attack case, who was shot dead in Naushera Pannuan on September 11 while out on bail.
Police are examining a social media post in which a group of gangsters purportedly claimed responsibility for the killing, hinting at a revenge attack over the murder of a sarpanch and an alleged link to a rival gangster. "There is a high probability this was a targeted killing by an organised crime network. We are investigating the case from all angles," the SSP said.
Opposition attacks Mann government
Singh is the fifth policeman to be murdered in Punjab this year, following the killings of ASI Gurnam Singh and home guard Ashok Kumar in Gurdaspur in February, ASI Joga Singh in Majitha in May, and ASI Harjit Singh in Amritsar in September. Two other ASIs survived murder attempts in the past month.
The killing drew sharp attacks from opposition parties. Former state Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said "Punjab is bleeding, and Bhagwant Mann's government has serious questions to answer," while Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon said the Aam Aadmi Party government had "completely failed on the law and order front." SAD functionary Bikram Singh Majithia accused the chief minister of being "busy criticizing opponents and entertaining people with jokes while murderers continue to ambush and attack our police personnel."
Sources:
- The Times of India: ASI gunned down in Tarn Taran; 5th cop to be murdered in Punjab this year
- NDTV: Punjab Cop Shot Dead While Returning Home After Duty, 2nd Incident In 2 Weeks
