punjab-police-probe-terror-angle-in-asi-and-jawan-s-deaths

Days after the mysterious murders of a Punjab Police Assistant Sub-Inspector and a Home Guard jawan whose bodies were recovered from Adhian Checkpost in Gurdaspur, there has been no breakthrough reported in the case.

 

The deceased were identified as ASI Gurnam Singh and Home Guard Ashok Kumar.

 

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said, “there were reports that the two could have fought among themselves, but we will investigate all angles.”

 

However, the mystery has further intensified with authorities noting the absence of the BSF personnel from the Adhian Checkpost, who were supposed to be present at the post along with the police.

 

The Mann government has announced Rs 1 crore for the next of kin (NOK) of the deceased personnel; besides, an additional Rs 1 crore payout was also announced by HDFC Bank to the families.

 

Meanwhile, a piece of video footage released by one Shahzad Bhatti has gone viral, in which a man is seen shooting Gurnam Singh from point-blank range while he was sleeping in a chair. The video has sent shockwaves among senior police officers.

 

 

Officials suspect a higher “chance of a terrorism angle in the incident” and believe that the likelihood that terrorists may have attempted to sneak into Punjab from across the border is quite high, since the border is just 500 metres from Adhian Checkpost.

 

Reports also suggest that the wire fencing separating the two sides has been damaged at multiple places during last year’s floods. “Militants might have used this damaged fencing to enter from the Pakistan side.”

 

Interestingly, 40 hours after the incident unfolded, no police official was willing to testify or wished to go on record to help solve the case, said SSP Aditya of Gurdaspur district.

 

He said, “The investigation is ongoing, but I will not be able to provide any details about what happened, how it happened, and who did it since the investigation is ongoing.”

 

The SSP said, “Three BSF men were on duty that day. I do not know why they did not turn up.”

 

A senior officer said, “The BSF had scheduled an event that day, due to which they withdrew their men from duty. They should have replaced them, but they did not.”