Chandigarh, Sep 22 (IANS) Punjab Police issued a security advisory directing police personnel to avoid travelling in uniform while commuting between their homes and places of duty, following the recent killing of Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Harjit Singh in Amritsar.
In the wake of the incident, and keeping in view the safety of police personnel posted in districts along the Pakistan border, the Inspector General (IG), Border Range, has issued an advisory to police personnel.
The IG Border Range has written to the Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) of Amritsar Rural, Batala, Gurdaspur and Pathankot, directing them to implement measures aimed at enhancing the security of police employees while they travel to and from their places of duty.
According to the advisory, police personnel have been instructed to wear plain clothes while travelling from their homes to their places of duty and while returning home after completing their duties.
They have specifically been advised to avoid wearing their police uniforms during such journeys.
The advisory further states that while undertaking personal travel, police personnel should neither carry nor display any sign, symbol or other item that could reveal their identity as members of the police force.
The letter also emphasises that all prescribed security protocols should be strictly followed by police personnel during private travel, with officers being advised to remain particularly cautious about their identity and personal safety.
ASI Harjit Singh was killed while performing his duty on September 18. Following the incident, police teams launched efforts to identify and apprehend those responsible for the killing.
A high alert was subsequently sounded across Amritsar and adjoining areas, with police intensifying checks at toll plazas and other key points as teams continued to search for the suspects.
Police later received specific information that the suspects were moving in the area and could potentially be looking for another target, prompting security teams to intensify their efforts to track them down.
One of the accused in the murder case of Punjab Police ASI Harjit Singh was killed in an encounter on September 19.
Punjab Police Commissioner Harmanveer Singh Gill said that while one of the main accused was killed during the encounter, his accomplice managed to escape under the cover of darkness.
Commissioner Gill also stated that the murder was part of a conspiracy involving Pakistan-based handlers.
According to him, the youths were lured with promises of money and a share in the illegal drug trade. The handlers demanded proof of loyalty by targeting police personnel.
Investigators also found that after shooting ASI Harjit Singh, the accused allegedly returned to the crime scene and recorded a 30–40 second video to send to their overseas handlers as proof that the task had been completed.
The act was reportedly captured on CCTV, while forensic examination of mobile phones is underway.
Commissioner Gill appealed to parents to closely monitor their children’s activities and protect them from being exploited through social media, drugs and criminal networks.
–IANS
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