Punjab police ASI shoots self dead at Sector-20 flat

A Punjab police assistant sub-inspector who headed the security escort for state director general of police Sumedh Singh Saini was found dead on a bed in a pool of blood at a Sector 20 apartment on Sunday morning.

A Punjab police assistant sub-inspector who headed the security escort for state director general of police Sumedh Singh Saini was found dead on a bed in a pool of blood at a Sector 20 apartment on Sunday morning.

Police said preliminary inquiries had revealed Bhupinder Singh, 40, a native of Shaidpur village in Tarn Taran and a national rowing player, shot himself with his .9mm bore service revolver. A spent cartridge was found at the scene, but no suicide note has been recovered yet.

According to police officials, Bhupinder, who had remarried after divorcing his first wife, was suffering from depression. He had been recruited in the police under the sports quota in 1992.

The first to notice the body was Balraj Singh, a head constable with the security escort, who visited the apartment at around 11am.

“When I visited the apartment I found the door was open. I’d gone there to have food with Bhupinder and another cop, Gajjan Singh. When I saw the body I called up inspector in charge Bhola Singh, who promptly informed senior officials about the incident,” Balraj said.

Superintendent of police (security) Harpreet Singh Sandhu was also notified, following which Sector 19 station house officer Maninder Singh arrived at the scene and began investigations.

The apartment has been allotted to another constable with the DGP’s security escort, Pritam Singh, who is currently on leave and has gone to his native village in Hoshiarpur.

Investigations

Maninder said prima facie Bhupinder’s death appeared to be a suicide as he had shot himself in the right temple with his right hand.

“The weapon was near his body that was sprawled on a bed with blood stains on the pillow. Bhupinder had divorced his wife after nine years of marriage and remarried two months ago.

His family was dependent on him as his father had died and his brother had been declared medically unfit.

His cousin, who worked as a supervisor at a private hospital and earlier stayed with him in Manimajra, has been reported missing since the past six months,” he added.

“The body has been kept at the Government Multispecialty Hospital, Sector 16, for a postmortem and the family has been informed. Inquest proceedings have been started under Section 174 (unnatural death) of the CrPC at the Sector 19 police station. No foul play is suspected,” Maninder said.

However, another cop, Jasbir Singh, claimed Bhupinder was not depressed and said the police must investigate the case “from all angles”.