A day after two Punjab Police personnel were gunned down near the international border, the terror outfit Tehrik-e-Taliban Hindustan (TTH) on Monday released a purported video of the execution. The clip, which is circulating on social media but remains independently unverified, allegedly shows an assailant firing at the head of a policeman.
The video is overlaid with background music and provocative slogans, including “More to come shortly” and “RSS we are coming.”
While the police remain tightlipped regarding the TTH’s involvement, noting the group has little known presence in Punjab, investigators are probing whether local gangsters carried out the hit at the behest of outside handlers.
Gurdaspur police have recovered CCTV footage showing five suspects on two motorcycles near the check post on the night of the crime. “The terror angle cannot be ruled out. We are verifying TTH’s claims with central agencies,” a senior official said.
In a separate development, another social media clip featuring the purported voice of Pakistan-based gangster Shehzad Bhatti has surfaced. In the audio, the speaker endorses the killings as a “befitting reply” to Punjab Police, alleging “fake encounters”.
The bodies of assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Gurnam Singh and constable Ashok Kumar were found on Sunday morning at a checkpost in Adhian village, falling under the Dorangla police station’s jurisdiction. The post is located near a Border Security Force (BSF) outpost.
The incident came to light after the personnel failed to respond to radio and phone calls. Village sarpanch Kamaljit Singh, who was asked by the Dorangla station house officer to check the post, discovered the bodies at 8am.
The scene suggested the personnel were caught entirely off guard. “The ASI was lying near a heater with his hands in his pockets, suggesting he was warming himself. The constable was found under a quilt, apparently shot while asleep,” the sarpanch said.
Gurdaspur senior superintendent of police Aditya, along with forensic and technical teams, visited the site on Sunday.
Officials noted that the room where the duo was stationed lacked a door, making it easily accessible to the attackers.
The constable belonged to the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB).
