ASI shot dead at grain market in Amritsar

Amritsar: Two unidentified motorcycle-borne men fatally shot an assistant sub-inspector of Punjab Police at the Bhagtanwala grain market here, officials said. DGP Gaurav Yadav, who inspected the crime scene and met the victim’s family on Friday, told reporters that ASI Harjit Singh was hit near the neck by a single bullet fired from a .30 bore pistol.

The incident took place around 12:30 am on Friday when the ASI on PCR duty was shot from a close range by the two bike-borne men, the DGP said. Hours earlier on Thursday night, a bike-borne duo gunned down a man outside his house in the Islamabad area of the city, police said. In both cases, the accused fled after committing the crime.

ASI Singh, a resident of Tarn Taran district, was rushed to a nearby private hospital where he was declared dead. The killing followed a similar incident in May, when armed assailants shot a Punjab Police ASI near Hamja village in Amritsar district. In the Islamabad incident, the victim has been identified as Sahilpreet Singh. According to police, he was strolling outside of his house when the bike-borne men opened fire. DGP Yadav told reporters, “I have inspected the crime scene and met the ASI’s family. As per preliminary inquiry, the attackers were following the ASI before committing the crime. We have collected the empty shell from the spot and sent it for forensic analysis.”

“Police are scanning CCTV camera footage from the area to trace the attackers. We hope to make a breakthrough soon. Exemplary action will be taken against the perpetrators,” Yadav said. He added that the ASI posted at the Gate Hakima police station was sent to the grain market area on duty at around 9:30 pm on Thursday, he said. Reacting to the grain market killing, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said in a post on X that the government stood firmly with the ASI’s family in this hour of grief.