At about 12:30 a.m. on Friday, Assistant Sub‑Inspector Harjit Singh was ambushed and shot dead by two men on a motorbike in the Bhagtanwala grain market of Amritsar. The attackers fired a single .30‑bore pistol round from point‑blank range, striking him from behind near the base of his neck. The incident unfolded while Singh was on PCR duty, a role that had him patrolling the market after closing hours. Witnesses reported a sudden rush of a two‑wheel ride, followed by the chilling sound of gunfire.
Punjab’s Director General of Police, Gaurav Yadav, inspected the scene and noted a single bullet wound and blood spatter. He recovered an empty .30‑bore cartridge case, now under forensic examination. CCTV footage from nearby shops is being reviewed to identify the assailants. A post‑mortem is pending to confirm cause of death.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann posted a condolence message on X, announcing a ₹1 crore compensation package for Singh’s family. Same‑day, an AAP leader echoed Mann’s tribute, calling the officer a ‘martyr’. The killing echoes a September 11 shooting that left Assistant Sub‑Inspector Jaswant Singh wounded after a similar bike‑borne attack. That earlier incident is still in recovery.
BJP’s Tarun Chugh slammed the incident as evidence of a collapse of law and order under Mann’s rule. Congress MP Manish Tiwari warned that Punjab’s border security is compromised, citing drug and weapon infiltration. Both parties have intensified calls for stricter policing measures. Police investigators remain on the case, with a preliminary report due next week.