CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Police on Wednesday claimed to have solved the sensational killing of two policemen in village Adian of Gurdaspur district, terming it a Pakistan-sponsored terror attack aimed at disturbing peace in the border state.
The Punjab Police identified the three as Ranjit Singh (19), Inderjit Singh (21), both residents of Adhian village, and Dilawar Singh (19), a resident of Alinangal village.
Addressing a press conference, Sandeep Goyal DIG border range said that one of the accused, identified as Ranjit Singh, was killed in an encounter, while another accused Dilawar Singh has been arrested. A third suspect, Inderjit Singh, is currently absconding and efforts are underway to nab him.
The police said that the breakthrough came after sustained investigation and technical surveillance, which pointed towards a cross-border terror module.
Encounter Details
According to police, acting on specific intelligence inputs about the movement of the accused, a police team laid a trap in a suspected area. When the police party tried to intercept the suspects, they were fired upon.
“The accused opened indiscriminate fire on the police team in an attempt to escape. The police retaliated in self-defence, during which Ranjit Singh sustained bullet injuries, ” a senior officer said.
He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Police claimed to have recovered weapons, including a pistol and ammunition, from the spot. No police personnel were injured in the exchange of fire.
The arrested accused, Dilawar Singh, was taken into custody following raids conducted at multiple locations. Preliminary interrogation has revealed alleged links with handlers based in Pakistan, police said.
Pakistan Angle
Punjab Police officials asserted that the entire module was being controlled from across the border, with the objective of targeting security personnel and creating panic in the region, especially in border districts like Gurdaspur.
Investigators are probing the role of foreign handlers, funding channels and possible sleeper cells. The police also suspect that the accused were in touch with Pakistan-based operatives through encrypted communication platforms.
Background
Two policemen, Ashok Kumar and Gurnam Singh, were shot dead at a police post in village Adian under Dorangla police station earlier this week. Initial reports had suggested a personal dispute, but the police have now ruled out that angle, stating that it was a planned terror attack.
Security has been heightened in border areas following the incident, and intelligence agencies have been put on high alert to prevent any further attempts to destabilise the region.