Punjab police ASI Harjit Singh shot dead in Amritsar, second cop killed in a week: what we know

Punjab Police ASI Harjit Singh was shot dead in Amritsar while on patrol. CM Bhagwant Mann announced ₹1 crore aid, with another ₹1 crore insurance payout.

Updated : Sep 18, 2026, 12:19 PM IST

Punjab Police ASI Harjit Singh was allegedly shot dead by unidentified assailants while on patrol duty in the Hakima police station area of Amritsar. The deceased officer will be accorded full police honours, according to the Punjab DGP.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said CM Bhagwant Mann announced Rs 1 crore ex-gratia for Singh’s family. In addition, Rs 1 crore insurance payout from HDFC Bank will also be provided.

Our brave police officer, ASI Harjit Singh of district #Amritsar , has laid down his life in the line of duty. @PunjabPoliceInd stands firmly with the bereaved family in their hour of grief. Hon’ble Chief Minister has announced an ex-gratia amount of ₹1 crore for his family,… pic.twitter.com/Or6bnpNun4

According to initial reports, unidentified assailants opened fire on Singh while he was patrolling near Bhagtawala Grain Market. Singh suffered critical injuries and later died while undergoing treatment at a hospital. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for his killing. This marks the second such incident in which police officers are being shot within a week in Punjab. Earlier, ASI Pawan Kumar Sharma died on duty) after being struck by a scooter.

Days earlier, a group calling itself “Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan” (TTH) claimed responsibility for shooting an ASI near Ajnala; however, the officer survived. The intelligence agencies are investigating the origins and whether it is a new militant outfit or an attempt by an existing banned organisation to establish a presence in Punjab. Police are investigating the shooting and working to identify the assailants and motive.

Rajya Sabha MP and BJP leader Tarun Chugh criticised the AAP-led Punjab government over what he described as a deteriorating law-and-order situation. Chugh alleged that 22 police stations and the BJP headquarters had faced grenade attacks, while the Punjab Police headquarters was targeted with a rocket launcher. He alleged that drug mafias, extortion rackets and gangsterism are contributing to an atmosphere of fear in Punjab.

Meanwhile, BJP announced ‘Punjab Nasha-Mukt’ yatras across Punjab focused on combating drugs, terrorism, fear, gangsterism and extortion. Aiming for a 36-month drug-free target, Chugh said the BJP is committed to making Punjab free of the drug menace, citing Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s stated commitment.