Punjab Police ASI shot dead at grain market by unidentified assailants in Amritsar

Two unidentified motorcycle-borne men allegedly shot dead a Punjab Police assistant sub-inspector at the Bhagtanwala grain market in Amritsar early Friday, officials said.

The incident took place around 3 am when ASI Harjit Singh, who was on PCR duty, was allegedly shot multiple times at close range by the two assailants, police said.

A few hours earlier, on Thursday night, two men riding a motorcycle had allegedly shot a man outside his house in the Islamabad Nagar area, police said. The assailants fled after both incidents.

Singh, who was from Tarn Taran district, was taken to a nearby private hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

The killing comes months after a similar incident in May, when armed assailants shot a Punjab Police ASI near Hamja village in Amritsar district.

In the Islamabad Nagar case, the victim was identified as Sahilpreet Singh. Police said he was walking outside his house when the motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, reacting to the killing at the grain market, said in a post on X that the government stood with the ASI's family during their bereavement.

Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said in an X post, “Our brave police officer, ASI Harjit Singh of Amritsar district, has laid down his life in the line of duty. Punjab Police stands firmly with the bereaved family in their hour of grief.”

The DGP also said the chief minister had announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 1 crore for Singh's family.  (with inputs from PTI)