Overview
- An Assistant Sub-Inspector, Iqbal Singh, was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants in Naushera Pannuan on Sunday after returning from a gurdwara, and he died at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds.
- Police have registered a case, sealed the crime scene for forensic work, dispatched multiple teams and are reviewing nearby CCTV as investigators pursue leads to identify and arrest the attackers.
- A social media post attributed to a figure named Dony Bal has claimed responsibility and named alleged associates while alleging a revenge motive, but authorities have not verified the authenticity of the claim or the identities named.
- The killing follows weeks of similar motorcycle-borne attacks on Punjab officers, including the Sept. 11 slaying of Singh’s nephew, the mid-September killing of another ASI and an Oct. 4 shooting that wounded an ASI in Amritsar.
- Former Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu has publicly blamed the state government for security lapses, a criticism that could increase pressure for stepped-up patrols and tougher action against organised gangs in the border belt.