A Punjab Police constable was killed in an encounter with four armed robbers in Jalandhar district. The constable, Kuldeep Singh Bajwa (28), was the gunman of Phagwara Station House Officer Amandip Nahar, police said.
The incident occurred in Kangjagir village under Phillaur sub-division late on Sunday night when the robbers were fleeing in a car they had snatched from a man. The four robbers snatched the car from a man in local Urban Estate while he was on his way home to SBS Nagar here along with a friend. Two of them put a gun to the car owner's head.
On getting information about the incident, Phagwara and Goraya police started looking for the robbers with the help of the GRP system. After tracing their location, a police party chased them. During the chase, the police said, the robbers fired at the police party and a bullet pierced through Bajwa's thigh.
Police sources said the police party returned fire and overpowered three robbers who were shot in the leg. The fourth robber managed to escape.
Bajwa was rushed to a private hospital in Phagwara where he was declared brought dead. His body was then taken to the civil hospital for an autopsy. The arrested robbers were hospitalised in Phillaur, but were later shifted to the Jalandhar civil hospital.
Phagwara Deputy Superintendent of Police Jaspreet Singh, who was present in the civil hospital during Bajwa's autopsy, said the constable belonged to Batala area but was living in Kapurthala.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann mourned the death of Kuldeep Singh Bajwa and announced Rs 2 crore to the family of the martyr as a mark of respect for his supreme sacrifice for the country. Mann said that the Constable had attained martyrdom while performing his duty. e said that out of this Rs 2 crore, Rs 1 crore will be given as ex-gratia by the state government whereas another payment of insurance cover worth Rs 1 crore will be made by the HDFC bank.