With the 2027 Assembly elections approaching, a covert threat looms over law and order personnel in Punjab, as an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) posted with the Ferozepur police in Punjab was shot dead by bike-borne assailants in Tarn Taran district while returning home after offering prayers at a gurdwara. Meanwhile, foreign-based Punjab gangsters have claimed responsibility for the killing. This is the fifth Punjab Police personnel member to be shot dead in the state in cold blood this year, while two others have been injured.
The incident took place in Naushera Pannuan village on Lauhka Road, where unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire at Iqbal Singh as he was returning on his bike after paying obeisance at the gurdwara, leaving him critically wounded. He died on the spot. The police took custody of his body and initiated an investigation into the killing.
Senior police officials, including Tarn Taran SSP Surinder Lamba, reached the spot and launched an investigation. The motive behind the attack and the identities of the assailants have not yet been established.
This killing comes weeks after Iqbal Singh’s nephew, Ajmeet Singh, was shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants on September 11. In that case, the accused was arrested after being injured in a police encounter.
Ajmeet reportedly had more than half a dozen cases registered against him at Sarhali police station, including one related to a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack. However, it has not been established whether the killing of Iqbal is connected to his nephew’s death or to any of the cases registered against Ajmeet.
According to the police, CCTV footage from cameras installed near the crime scene, in surrounding areas and along major roads is being scrutinised to identify the suspects and trace their movements before and after the attack. Police teams are also collecting relevant evidence from the spot as part of the investigation.
Meanwhile, in a purported social media post, foreign-based gangsters Prabh Dasuwal, Doni Bal, Mohabbat Randhawa, Afreedi Toot and Shaganpreet claimed responsibility for the killing.
The post alleged that the deceased ASI was assisting foreign-based gangster-turned-terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa Harike. The gangsters also claimed that they had been deliberately linked to the recent murder of Ashwani Sarpanch despite having no involvement in the killing.
The killing of ASI Iqbal comes amid a series of attacks on police personnel in Punjab, as four other policemen have already been killed in separate incidents this year and two others have survived gun attacks. On the night of September 17 and 18, ASI Harjit Singh was shot dead near the Bhagtanwala grain market in Amritsar while on PCR duty. He was attached to the Gate Hakima Police Control Room.
The attack was carried out while he was performing his duty, and the police were investigating the motive and identifying the attackers. In May this year, ASI Joga Singh was killed in Majitha.
In February this year, ASI Gurnam Singh and Home Guard jawan Ashok Kumar, who were on duty in Adian village under Dorangala police station in Gurdaspur district, were shot dead.
In another incident, ASI Jaswant Singh was shot at in Rajasansi on September 12 but survived. On the night of October 4 and 5, ASI Sukhchain Singh of the Government Railway Police sustained a gunshot injury to his left arm near Jagdev Khurd in Ajnala.
The latest killing is likely to raise further concerns over the safety of police personnel, particularly those travelling outside their workplaces or performing field duties.
Not only police personnel but also local politicians have been killed. On July 21, AAP sarpanch Satpal Singh alias Mintu of Anandgarh village in Hoshiarpur was allegedly attacked with sharp-edged weapons before being run over by a vehicle. On August 29, AAP worker Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi was shot dead in Mamdot, Ferozepur.
Another AAP worker was injured, and a vehicle carrying Mamdot Nagar Panchayat president Vicky Maini was also targeted. The police's preliminary investigation pointed to an old election-related rivalry.
In September, AAP sarpanch Kuljit Singh Sandhu of Mahimad Mandarawala village in Ajnala went missing and was later found dead near Ramdas. In the same month, SAD-linked leader Navpreet Singh alias Navi was shot dead at Adda Gaggo Buha in Tarn Taran. On October 3, former Akali sarpanch Navtej Singh was shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants near Ladhowal in Ludhiana.