Chandigarh, Feb 23 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 1 crore each for the kin of two police personnel found dead with bullet wounds at a checkpost near the India-Pakistan border in Gurdaspur district on Sunday.
The bodies of ASI Gurnam Singh and Home Guard Ashok Kumar, who were posted at Adhian, about 2 km from the international border, were found inside the checkpost on Sunday.
In a post on X, Mann said, “Salute to the bravery and supreme sacrifice of martyrs ASI Gurnam Singh and PHG Ashok Kumar, who laid down their lives in the line of duty.
“The Punjab government will provide an ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore each to their families, while the HDFC Bank will provide an additional insurance amount of Rs 1 crore each.” “We stand strongly with our martyrs and their families. Their sacrifice inspires us all to perform our duties with honour and courage,” the chief minister added.
A forensic team visited the spot on Monday, a police officer said, adding that the case is being probed from all angles.
The matter came to light when the sarpanch of Adhian village, Kamaljeet Singh, visited the checkpost after being informed by the Dorangla SHO that both policemen were not answering their calls.
The sarpanch, who reached the checkpost at about 8:15 am, found both the ASI and the home guard dead with gunshot injuries.
While the ASI’s body was found on a chair with his hands in his pockets, the home guard was lying dead on a cot, police said.
After the incident was reported, posters allegedly issued by an outfit calling itself Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan (TTH) circulated on social media, claiming responsibility for the killings, even as a police officer dubbed the claim as fake.
The area where the bodies were found is prone to smuggling of heroin and weapons using drones from across the border.
Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday slammed the AAP government in Punjab over the deaths of the two policemen.
In a post on X, Badal said, “Bhagwant Mann must go, NOW. This chief minister is presiding over the complete breakdown of law and order as the home minister.
“The killing of two police personnel – ASI Gurnam Singh and Home Guard Ashok Kumar – for which the new terror outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan has claimed responsibility, has sent a clear signal: No one is safe in Punjab.
“After terrorising trade, industry, and the common man, gangsters and terror outfits are now directly challenging the police force. This is not governance, it’s surrender.” PTI CHS VSD ARI ARI
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