Murder of 2 cops: Gurdaspur court sends 4 accused to judicial custody

The accused, Inderjit Singh alias Shah, his brother Sarwan Singh, Dilawar Singh and Sukhjinder Singh, were produced before the court after the completion of their earlier three-day remand

A local court in Gurdaspur sent four accused in the murder of two police personnel to judicial custody after their police remand ended on Wednesday, rejecting the Punjab Police’s plea for an additional three-day remand.

Assistant sub-inspector Gurnam Singh and Punjab Home Guard constable Ashok Kumar, were found shot dead on February 22 (HT File)

The accused — Inderjit Singh alias Shah, his brother Sarwan Singh, Dilawar Singh and Sukhjinder Singh — were produced before the court after the completion of their earlier three-day remand. The police sought further custody, citing the need for deeper interrogation, but the court declined the request.

The case pertains to the killing of assistant sub-inspector Gurnam Singh and Punjab Home Guard constable Ashok Kumar, who were found shot dead on February 22 at a checkpost in Adhian village of Gurdaspur district.

In its application before judicial magistrate first class Vijay Singh Dadwal, the police stated that further remand was required to probe alleged terror funding links with Pakistani smugglers and handlers. The application also claimed that the accused were not cooperating with the investigation and that extended custody was necessary to recover weapons and gather crucial information to prevent future incidents.

Police have linked the killings to Pakistan’s ISI-backed handlers and invoked multiple sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the case.

The case has also drawn attention due to the alleged police encounter of a suspect, 19-year-old Ranjit Singh, who was killed on February 25 near Puranashala village. The Punjab and Haryana high court has sought a report from the director general of Police while hearing a plea filed by the deceased’s mother seeking a CBI probe into the encounter, which she and human rights groups have termed fake.

Reacting to the court’s decision, Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO) functionary Sarabjit Singh Verka questioned the police investigation, stating that authorities have yet to identify the alleged handlers despite weeks having passed since the arrests.