20 encounters in 7 months, all during recovery ops, put Punjab Police under scanner

The two incidents are the latest in a series of similar encounters in Punjab over the last few years, where police officials escorting the handcuffed accused to ‘recovery sites’ are caught in shootouts, resulting in the alleged criminals being injured or killed.

According to the police, some suspects retrieve concealed arms at the recovery site and open fire, while others snatch weapons from the escorting officers and attack them. While most accused survive the retaliatory police fire with gunshot wounds — typically to the leg or foot — some have died. This year, at least 20 such encounters have taken place in the state in which five suspects were killed and 17 injured.
In Abohar, Verma, popularly known as Punjab’s ‘Kurta Pajama King’, was shot dead on July 7 morning by three men waiting outside his shop. A day later, Jaspreet Singh and Ram Rattan were arrested for allegedly helping the shooters escape. “When the police took them to the location, their accomplices were waiting at the spot, and they started firing at the police. The police fired in self-defence and the suspects were killed. One of our senior constables was injured,” the police said. Later, police FIR suggested that the both were killed with the bullets fired by their accomplices.

After the incident, Cabinet minister and Aam Aadmi Party state president Aman Arora posted on X, “In New Punjab, criminals have two choices: surrender or face the law. In the Abohar murder case…2 gangsters neutralised in an encounter. No mercy for those who dare to disrupt peace.”

This “new Punjab”, however, is over a year and a half old, as the state has been witnessing such police encounters since December 2023 — a month that saw seven such incidents. The trend continued throughout 2024, with murder suspect Gursharan Singh killed and gangster Karanjit Singh alias Jassa Happowal, accused Suraj Mandi, and wanted criminal Sunil Baba among those injured.

Social activist Harmilap Grewal questioned the glorification of such encounters, saying the incidents “raised many questions”.

“Is there a lack of training for the police that the same script is being repeated all over Punjab? Rather than reprimanding and taking action on the escorting police party for negligence, they are encouraging them and making such officers heroes,” he alleged.

“Such encounters are no deterrence to crime in the state. Big conspirators are sitting in jail. Police should bring them on remand. Police kill the shooters, and gangsters in jails nurture new ones…it will not affect the gangsters from making money from jail, as there is no signal that the encounters have been discouraging new recruits,” Grewal added.

In the Sanjay Verma case, his brother, Jagat Verma, pointed out that such encounters were being reported at a time when the ‘real conspirators’ have been orchestrating murders from inside jails.

In Verma’s case too, an alleged gangster uploaded a post on social media, claiming responsibility for the murder.

While no senior police officer agreed to comment on recurrence of such encounters, saying they were not authorised to speak, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav had earlier said that the police aim to work within the parameters of law, carry out professional investigations, and get the accused punished through the courts. “(But) When we face any firing, then we retaliate in self-defence. Bullet for bullet is not an aggressive policy. It is a policy of self-defence. If police is attacked, police will respond,” he had told media. Gurinder Dhillon, who retired as an additional director general of police, said it was “deeply shameful” that the government and state police, “instead of addressing their failures, are being seen as resorting to extra-legal actions”.

“No matter the provocation, this cannot be allowed. Punjab cannot afford a slide back into the dark days of the 1980s. There are hostile neighbouring enemy forces waiting to exploit such chaos and manufacture a serious internal security crisis,” Dhillon, now a Congress leader, said in a post X.

Asked about the encounters during weapons recovery, Anandpur Sahib MP Malwinder Singh Kang, who is also the AAP’s spokesperson, said, “I feel that we should trust the criminal justice system.”

“We should not connect the encounters with politics. We have a law, we have a judicial system, we have a system to investigate a crime. We should trust that system. If anybody adopts extrajudicial methods, then ultimately the impact will be bad,” he added.

On what the ruling party and the government thinks about such encounters, Kang said, “Feedback must be reaching the ears of the party’s and government’s representatives. We all are part of society. They must be thinking about it”.

2025 police encounters

• July 11: Ramandeep Singh, an accused in the May 25 Dhilwan toll plaza firing case, was shot in the leg while attempting to escape police custody during a weapon recovery operation in Kapurthala.
• July 8: Jaspreet Singh and Ram Rattan, arrested for allegedly helping the men who shot and killed Abohar businessman Sanjay Verma escape, were taken to recover weapons and clothes when their accomplices were waiting at the spot started firing at the police. The suspects were killed in the retaliatory fire.
• July 2: Two accused in the murder of Shiv Sena leader Mangat Ram, Daljit Singh alias Sikander and his accomplice, Arun Kumar alias Aada, were injured in a police encounter in Moga while they were taken to Singha Wala village for weapon recovery. The police said the accused opened fire using a hidden weapon, prompting them to retaliate.
• June 29: Soni Singh, an operative linked to a foreign-based drug and weapon smuggler, was injured in a police encounter near Mattewal drain in Amritsar. Taken to a site for weapon recovery, he allegedly fired at the police, prompting them to retaliate. Singh was shot in the leg and hospitalised.
• June 18: Gangster Gagandeep Singh alias Garry Lalton, also known as Ravan, was injured in a police encounter in Ludhiana district. He allegedly opened fire during weapon recovery and was shot in the leg. He was arrested and hospitalised.
• June 10: Drugs and weapons smuggler Tarsem Singh was injured in a police encounter during a recovery operation in Tarn Taran. After he allegedly revealed details of a concealed consignment of heroin and a weapon, he was taken to the Bhakna area, where he allegedly fired at the police, prompting them to retaliate, injuring him in the leg.
• June 1: Karajpreet Singh and Gurlal Singh alias Harman were arrested in connection with an extortion racket allegedly operated by foreign-based gangster Jeevan Fauji. During weapon recovery, Gurlal allegedly fired at the police and was injured in retaliatory fire.
• April 25: Germanjit Singh alias Jammu, an operative of foreign-based gangster Mann Ghanshampuria, was injured in a police encounter during a weapon recovery near the ‘23 Meel’ canal area in Amritsar’s Mehta.
• March 19: Dharminder Singh alias Sonu was injured in a police encounter during a recovery operation near Verka bypass on the outskirts of Amritsar city after he allegedly disclosed the location of hidden contraband and weapons. At the recovery site, he allegedly snatched a weapon from a police official and was injured after the police fired in retaliation.
• March 16: Bishemberjit Singh, one of the accused in the Varinder Pal Singh murder case, was killed in an encounter after he was taken to Sherobaga village in Amritsar to recover the weapon used in the murder. During the recovery, he allegedly retrieved a hidden Glock pistol, and opened fire, injuring one policeman. He was shot, disarmed, and taken to Civil Hospital, where he was declared dead.
• March 14: Harpreet Singh, arrested in a child kidnapping case, was shot in the leg during an alleged escape attempt while recovering a weapon near Salar village in Sangrur district.
• March 13: Accused Jaspreet Singh died, and three Patiala police officials were injured following an encounter at Mandaur village.
• March 3: Amritsar Rural police shot and injured drug smuggler Jagtar Singh near the Attari border during a recovery operation. A day earlier, Jagtar and Angrej Singh were arrested with 1 kg of ICE drugs and ₹1.4 lakh drug money. While being taken to the Attari drain for recovery, Jagtar allegedly attempted to flee. The police opened fire in self-defence, injuring his leg.
• March 1: Mohali police brought gangster Malkiat Singh alias Maxi, an operative of foreign-based terrorists Goldy Brar and Goldy Dhillon, on production warrants. While attempting to flee from the weapon recovery site, Maxi allegedly opened fire at the police team. In retaliatory fire, he was shot in his left leg.
• February 28: During a weapon recovery operation, gangster Gurdeep Singh alias Mana allegedly opened fire at a police team in Moga. The police retaliated, injuring him in the leg. He was admitted to Civil Hospital, Moga, for treatment.
• February 27: Mohit, a key accused in two grenade attacks, was killed in a police encounter in Batala during a weapon recovery operation. He was in custody when he allegedly opened fire, prompting retaliation.
• February 23: Wanted criminal Maninder Singh Mohali was injured in a police encounter near Nadampur village in Bhawanigarh. The police had taken him for weapon recovery when he allegedly opened fire. The police retaliated in self-defence, injuring him in the leg.
• February 10: Jasdev Singh alias Jassi Puncture was injured in retaliatory police firing during a weapon recovery operation at Bhaini Bagha village in Mansa after he allegedly picked up a loaded firearm and opened fire on police. Jasdev was an accused in an extortion and firing case.
• February 10: Two suspects in a blast case, Karandeep Singh and Buta Singh, were injured in an encounter with the Amritsar Rural police after allegedly attempting to escape custody by snatching a weapon from an ASI. The accused were arrested in connection with a blast outside the Fatehgarh police post on February 3.
• February 2: Accused Sarbjeet Singh and Sunil Masih were injured in Batala police custody during a weapon recovery operation near Shahpur Jajan in Dera Baba Nanak. The duo, arrested for firing at a shopkeeper in an extortion case linked to gangster Jeewan Fauji, allegedly opened fire on police. Both sustained leg injuries in retaliatory firing.