Stories
Why are police officers being targeted and killed in Punjab?
- •Between May and October 2026, several police personnel including ASI Joga Singh, ASI Harjit Singh, and ASI Iqbal Singh were killed in targeted attacks across Punjab.
- •Investigators are probing various angles, including potential involvement of Pakistan-based ISI handlers, local gang networks, and personal enmity.
- •A viral social media advisory claiming police were ordered to wear plain clothes while traveling was dismissed as fake by the Punjab Police headquarters.
- •These continuous violent incidents have raised serious concerns regarding the safety and security arrangements of police personnel in the state.
Key Questions Answered
Between May and October 2026, multiple police personnel, including ASI Joga Singh, ASI Harjit Singh, and ASI Iqbal Singh, were targeted and killed by motorcycle-borne attackers in Punjab. While some cases involve potential cross-border conspiracies or links to Pakistan-based handlers, others are being investigated for personal enmity, gang wars, or family feuds like the murder of Iqbal Singh's nephew.
Following the murder of ASI Harjit Singh, an advisory went viral on social media claiming that border range police officers were instructed to wear plain clothes while traveling to avoid revealing their police identity. The Punjab Police headquarters explicitly termed this viral order as fake, clarifying that no such directive was ever issued.
Police have been collecting evidence, reviewing CCTV footage, and pursuing multiple angles in these cases. For instance, in the murder case of ASI Harjit Singh in Amritsar, police reported killing a suspect named Deepak Singh in an encounter, while investigations into ASI Iqbal Singh's October 11 killing in Tarn Taran are examining a possible connection to his nephew's murder a month prior.
