States » NorthPosted at: Sep 24 2026 2:03PM


Accused in Punjab Police ASI shooting escapes during weapon recovery; SHO suspended

Neeraj Bali
Chandigarh, Sept 24 (UNI) A man arrested for allegedly shooting a Punjab Police assistant sub-inspector in the head escaped from police custody while being taken to recover a weapon, prompting the suspension of a station house officer and a manhunt across Amritsar district, police officials said on Thursday.
The accused, identified as Karan of Jhanjoti village, had been arrested in connection with the Sept. 11 attack on Assistant Sub-Inspector Jaswant Singh in the Rajasansi area and was in police custody on a five-day remand.
Police took Karan to the Majitha area on Wednesday as part of an operation to recover a weapon allegedly linked to the case when he managed to escape from the police party, officials said.
Amritsar Rural Senior Superintendent of Police Kanwalpreet Singh Chahal ordered the suspension of Rajasansi Station House Officer Gurpreet Singh over alleged negligence following the escape.
"We have launched a search operation and teams are conducting raids at possible hideouts to apprehend the accused," a police official said, adding that responsibility for the security lapse was also being examined.
The escape has added a fresh twist to a case that had raised security concerns after a serving police officer was targeted while travelling on a motorcycle.
Police said Jaswant Singh, posted at the Amritsar Commissionerate Police Lines, was travelling towards Ajnala on the night of Sept. 11 when two motorcycle-borne men allegedly followed him near Bhalla Pind in the Rajasansi area.
One of the assailants opened fire at the officer, police said. The bullet pierced his turban and grazed his head, leaving him injured but narrowly avoiding a potentially fatal wound.
Investigators subsequently examined CCTV footage from the area and identified suspects, leading to Karan's arrest. He was produced before a court, which remanded him in police custody for five days for further investigation.
The case had taken another turn after an obscure group calling itself Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan claimed responsibility for the attack in a social media post and issued threats against the police officer.
Police have not publicly established the authenticity of the group's claim, and the assertion has not been independently verified.
Investigators were examining the motive for the shooting and the possible involvement of others when Karan escaped during the recovery operation.
Police teams were carrying out searches at several locations on Thursday and checking possible routes the accused could have used after fleeing custody.
The SSP's decision to suspend the SHO came as senior officers sought an account of how an accused in a case involving an armed attack on a police officer was able to escape while under police guard.
Further departmental action would depend on the findings of the inquiry into the lapse, officials said.
Police said efforts were under way to rearrest Karan and continue the investigation into the attack on the ASI.
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Tags: #Accused in Punjab Police ASI shooting escapes during weapon recovery; SHO suspended
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