Punjab Police on Wednesday claimed to have cracked the double murder of two police personnel at the second line of defence post in Adian village in Gurdaspur, announcing that one of the main accused was killed in an encounter while another remains at large.
Ranjit Singh, 19, was shot dead during a pre-dawn exchange of fire near Purana Shala. A third accused, Dilawar Singh, is in custody, while Inderjit Singh, described by police as physically disabled and unable to walk properly, is absconding.
Addressing the media after the encounter, DIG Sandeep Goyal alleged that Pakistan’s intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence, had orchestrated the killings by offering the trio ₹2–4 lakh. He said only a small portion of the promised amount had been paid so far. According to police, Dilawar was to receive Rs 20,000, of which Rs 3,000 had allegedly been paid.
However, several aspects remain unclear, including how the money was to be transferred, the source of the funds and whether any amount beyond the initial payment had changed hands. Police have also not clarified whether the accused were personally known to the victims.
Home Guard jawan Ashok Kumar and ASI Gurnam Singh were shot dead a few days ago at the Adian police post. Gurnam Singh’s body was found on a chair, while Ashok Kumar’s body was discovered under a quilt.
The DIG said the three accused, all residents of villages near Adian, were in contact with ISI handlers and had carried out reconnaissance before attacking the post when only two personnel were present. He ruled out negligence on the part of the police, saying the suspects were identified through phone dump analysis and interrogation.
According to the police, Ranjit and Dilawar were arrested after the murders. During questioning, Ranjit allegedly disclosed that the pistol used in the crime had been hidden in Galri village in the Bahrampur area. A police team then took him to recover the weapon.
DIG Goyal said that while travelling on a flood-damaged road amid dense fog, the police vehicle overturned. Ranjit allegedly escaped from custody, triggering a red alert. Later, a CIA team deployed on the Gurdaspur-Mukerian road near Purana Shala spotted him arriving on a motorcycle with Inderjit Singh.
“When signalled to stop, he turned the bike around and it skidded. He then tried to flee on foot and opened fire at the police,” the DIG said. In the ensuing exchange, Ranjit was shot dead. CIA in-charge Inspector Gurmeet Singh and four other personnel were injured. The injured policemen have been identified as Sandeep Singh, Banarasi Das, Niranjan Singh and Simranjit Singh.
Police said a .32 bore pistol, cartridges and the motorcycle were recovered from Ranjit. Inderjit managed to escape and is being traced.
The DIG described the encounter as “poetic justice” and termed Ranjit the mastermind of the attack. He said the 19-year-old had no prior criminal record, while Inderjit, 21, had three cases under the NDPS Act. Police alleged that Dilawar was lured into the conspiracy with the promise of Rs 20,000.
Investigators have yet to confirm the authenticity of a purported video of the killings that has surfaced. They have also not clarified whether any Pakistani-based criminal, including a figure identified as Bhatti in local chatter, had a role in the crime.
Meanwhile, Ranjit’s family has alleged that he was picked up from his house around 4 pm on Tuesday and later killed in a staged encounter. His mother Sukhwinder Kaur and uncle Harvinder Singh claimed he was falsely implicated and eliminated. Ranjit’s father works in Saudi Arabia.
“If our son had done anything wrong, he should have been punished by the courts. This is no way to kill a 19-year-old,” his uncle said.
Police said a .32 bore pistol, cartridges and the motorcycle were recovered from Ranjit. Inderjit managed to escape and is being traced. (ANI Photo) 
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