‘Avoid uniforms outside stations’: Punjab Police term advisory fake but yet to register FIR

The clarification came after the ‘advisory’ surfaced on social media, claimed to have been issued by the Border Range Police, with several opposition leaders sharing the unverified clip in which a woman could be heard asking cops to wear civil dress while coming or returning from duty in the wake of the recent murder of ASI Harjit Singh in Amritsar.

Punjab Police on Tuesday termed the purported advisory asking its personnel to avoid wearing uniform while travelling to or returning from duty as “fake”, even as they are yet to register an FIR in the matter.

Punjab Police on Tuesday termed the purported advisory asking its personnel to avoid wearing uniform while travelling to or returning from duty as “fake”, even as they are yet to register an FIR in the matter. (Getty Images/iStockphoto/ Representational image)

The clarification came after the ‘advisory’ surfaced on social media, claimed to have been issued by the Border Range police, with several opposition leaders, including SAD leader Bikram Majitha and former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar, sharing the unverified clip in which a woman could be heard asking police personnel to wear civil dress while coming or returning from duty in the wake of the recent murder of assistant sub-inspector Harjit Singh in Amritsar.

The opposition leaders questioned the security of police personnel and the law-and-order situation in the state.

However, state police clarified that Punjab Police Headquarters or any other Punjab Police office under it has issued no such advisory.

The police termed the messages circulating on social media as “false” and urged people to rely only on official communication channels.

Citizens and police personnel are advised to rely only on official channels for authentic information, it further said.

A senior police officer, requesting anonymity, said, “We are deliberating upon the issue of whether an FIR has to be lodged in the city. A probe is already underway into the circulation of the video.”

Reacting to the alleged advisory, state finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema said Congress, SAD and the BJP only speak lies all the time. “No such advisory has been issued,” Cheema asserted.

AAP’s state media in-charge Baltej Pannu questioned the opposition leaders for sharing a fake police advisory without verifying its authenticity or facts.