Gunfire erupted in Amritsar on Diwali night after a bitter confrontation between two groups over a gold transaction turned bloody, leaving one man dead and an on-duty police officer critically wounded.
Pratap Singh died on the spot. Caught in the sudden crossfire, Assistant Sub-Inspector Harnek Singh—posted at the B-Division police station—sustained two bullet wounds to his thigh before shooters fled into the holiday crowds. The attack unleashed panic across the Sultanwind Road corridor as local residents and shoppers scrambled for shelter behind market stalls.
First responders rushed the wounded officer to a nearby hospital, where medical staff admitted him in critical condition. He remains under intensive care.
The confrontation flared near Ranjhe Di Haveli as festive crowds packed the streets late Sunday. What began as a fierce verbal altercation over an unresolved gold deal rapidly spun out of control. Weapons were pulled within seconds. Multiple rounds cracked through the air before onlookers could react—scattering families and killing Pratap Singh instantly on the pavement.
Yet the violence did not end there. ASI Harnek Singh, stationed in the vicinity on festival security deployment, moved toward the commotion and stepped directly into the line of fire. Two slugs tore into his leg, bringing him down as the assailants vanished into the surrounding alleys.
Police teams from the B-Division police station sealed the perimeter shortly after the shooting to gather physical evidence, retrieve spent cartridges, and map out the exact sequence of fire. Forensics units examined the pavement alongside Sultanwind Road while detectives began pulling surveillance camera footage from commercial establishments lining the getaway routes.
Officers have fanned out across Amritsar to identify every individual involved in the illicit deal and pinpoint the source of the unregistered firearms used in the ambush. Investigators expect to file formal charges under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act as suspect identities are confirmed.