Punjab ASI Harjit Singh Murder: Accused Killed in Amritsar Encounter as Police Probe Pakistan-Based Handler Link
One of the men accused by Punjab Police of killing Assistant Sub-Inspector Harjit Singh in Amritsar has died following an exchange of fire with police, while investigators say they are examining an alleged cross-border conspiracy involving a Pakistan-based handler. A second suspect remains at large.
the investigation into the murder of Punjab ASI Harjit Singh and the subsequent police encounter
Table of Contents (18 sections)
Punjab Police have intensified their investigation into the killing of Assistant Sub-Inspector Harjit Singh after one of the alleged attackers was killed during a police operation in Amritsar and investigators publicly raised the possibility of a Pakistan-based handler directing the crime.
The deceased suspect has been identified as Deepak Singh, a resident of Mulechak village near Amritsar.
Police say Deepak was one of two men involved in the fatal shooting of ASI Harjit Singh while the officer was on duty in Amritsar during the early hours of September 18.
Deepak later died after what Punjab Police describe as an exchange of gunfire at checkpoints in the Islamabad police station area on Saturday night.
His alleged accomplice escaped in the darkness and remained at large in the latest confirmed update on September 21. Police teams were conducting raids to find him.
Key Takeaways
ASI Harjit Singh was shot dead while on duty in Amritsar on September 18.
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Suspect Deepak Singh died in a police encounter on Saturday night.
A second alleged attacker remains at large.
Police allege a Pakistan-based handler recruited the attackers.
Investigators examining mobile phones and digital evidence.
Punjab government announced ₹1 crore ex-gratia compensation.
What Happened to ASI Harjit Singh?
ASI Harjit Singh, approximately 50 years old and a resident of Tarn Taran district, was serving with the Amritsar Commissionerate Police.
He was attached to the Police Control Room under Gate Hakima police station.
According to police and contemporaneous reporting, Singh was returning from or engaged in night patrol duty when two motorcycle-borne assailants approached him near Gate No. 2 of Bhagtanwala grain market in Amritsar.
The attack occurred during the early hours of September 18.
The attackers allegedly opened fire at Singh before fleeing.
He suffered fatal injuries.
Punjab Police subsequently examined CCTV footage, mobile-phone data, tower-dump information and local intelligence in an effort to identify the attackers.
Investigators say those inputs led them to Deepak Singh and another man from Mulechak village.
How Did Deepak Singh Die?
Punjab Police describe the incident as an armed encounter that began after officers received information about the suspects' movement.
Police Commissioner Harmanbir Singh Gill said checkpoints had been established across Amritsar after the ASI's killing.
At around Saturday night, police say two men travelling on a scooter were signalled to stop at a checkpoint.
According to the police version, the suspects instead opened fire and attempted to escape.
They allegedly encountered another police checkpoint and again fired at officers.
Police say the suspects fired four rounds, prompting officers to return fire in self-defence.
Deepak Singh was hit.
He was taken for medical treatment but was declared dead or died while being transported to hospital, according to different reports based on police briefings.
The second man allegedly escaped under the cover of darkness.
As of the latest September 21 reporting, police had not announced his arrest.
Police Say Officer Survived Bullet Because of Body Armour
Commissioner Gill said bullets fired during the confrontation struck a police vehicle.
One bullet also allegedly struck a police or Counter Intelligence officer in the chest.
According to Gill, the officer was protected by a bulletproof jacket and survived.
Police said they fired six rounds in response.
These details are based on the Punjab Police account of the encounter. No independent reconstruction of the entire exchange has yet been made public.
What Did Police Recover?
Police say they recovered items including:
a .30-bore pistol
two magazines
eight live cartridges
a mobile phone
an Activa scooter
Investigators are examining the recovered phone and other digital evidence as part of the inquiry into the ASI's killing and the alleged overseas connection.
What Is the Alleged Pakistan Connection?
This is the most important claim requiring careful attribution.
Amritsar Police Commissioner Harmanbir Singh Gill said investigators believe a Pakistan-based or Pakistan-linked handler operating from abroad recruited the accused.
According to Gill, the handler allegedly offered them money and promised to involve them in narcotics trafficking.
Police allege the men were required to carry out an attack against a police officer as a demonstration of loyalty to the handler.
Gill said they were allegedly instructed to find an isolated police officer, kill him and record evidence of the attack.
Police further allege that footage of ASI Harjit Singh after the shooting was sent to the handler.
Gill said forensic examination of mobile phones and location data would be used to establish what he described as a concrete evidentiary link.
That phrasing is significant: it indicates investigators are still trying to establish and document the alleged connection.
The cross-border link should therefore be reported as a Punjab Police allegation or investigative finding, rather than as an independently proven fact.
Shahzad Bhatti Network Under Investigation
Some reports citing police sources have gone further and identified the suspected overseas connection as the Shahzad Bhatti Network, or SBN.
India Today reported that police were investigating whether Deepak Singh had links with Pakistan-based Shahzad Bhatti and his network.
The alleged connection has not yet been established through a public court proceeding.
However, the network itself was formally designated a terrorist organisation by India's Ministry of Home Affairs on September 16, 2026, just days before the Amritsar killing.
The Home Ministry said the Shahzad Bhatti Network was involved in activities including cross-border trafficking of arms, explosives and narcotics and recruiting young people and criminals for terrorist activity.
Those are allegations and findings attributed to the Indian government under the UAPA designation.
The fact that the network is officially designated does not by itself prove that Deepak Singh or the ASI killing was connected to it.
That specific link remains part of the police investigation.
Family Disputes Knowledge of Pakistan Links
Deepak Singh's family has challenged parts of the police narrative.
His father, Balwinder Singh, told The Tribune that the family was unaware of any connection between Deepak and Pakistan-based groups.
The father acknowledged that Deepak had struggled with drug use and had previously been arrested in a narcotics case, but said the family did not know about any alleged involvement in Harjit Singh's killing or connections with overseas handlers.
Police sources, by contrast, alleged that Deepak had links with Pakistan-based elements and said his mobile phone was undergoing forensic analysis.
Both positions should be reflected while the investigation remains incomplete.
Deepak Had Previous Narcotics Case, Police Say
According to police sources cited by The Tribune, Deepak had previously faced a drug-peddling case involving the alleged recovery of about 500 grams of heroin and had been released on bail.
His family also acknowledged the previous arrest.
Police are examining whether narcotics trafficking played a role in the alleged recruitment process described by Commissioner Gill.
Gill's account suggests investigators believe the overseas handler used the prospect of money and access to drug trafficking as an incentive.
Again, that alleged recruitment chain remains under investigation.
Why Police Say the Killing May Have Been a Targeted Attack
The emerging police theory is that ASI Harjit Singh may not have been targeted because of a personal dispute with the attackers.
Instead, Gill has said the alleged handler instructed the suspects to find a lone police officer and attack him.
If supported by forensic and digital evidence, that would suggest the officer was targeted primarily because he was a member of Punjab Police rather than because of a direct personal connection.
Investigators are therefore examining the killing as a possible targeted attack linked to a larger network.
No court has yet ruled on that theory.
Second Accused Still Being Hunted
The investigation is continuing because the second alleged attacker remains missing.
Police say he also belongs to Mulechak village.
Teams have been carrying out raids and searches to locate him.
No reliable report reviewed up to September 21 confirmed that he had been arrested.
Claims circulating on social media that both suspects have been killed or captured should therefore not be published without additional confirmation.
Police Examining Other Attacks on Personnel
The killing of Harjit Singh has also attracted attention because Punjab has seen other recent attacks on police personnel.
The authorities are examining whether there are connections between different incidents or whether they are unrelated crimes.
Any link between Harjit Singh's killing and earlier attacks remains an investigative question rather than an established fact.
This distinction is particularly important when discussing possible terror or cross-border networks.
Punjab Government Announces Compensation
Following Harjit Singh's death, the Punjab government announced ₹1 crore in ex-gratia compensation for his family.
An additional ₹1 crore insurance payment was also announced through the applicable banking insurance arrangement.
Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav visited the area and said those responsible would be brought to justice.
What Investigators Are Likely to Examine Next
The most important evidence will now come from digital and forensic analysis.
Investigators are expected to examine:
Mobile-phone communications: Calls, messaging applications, deleted data and online accounts could help determine whether the suspects communicated with an overseas handler.
Location records: Tower and GPS information may help reconstruct the suspects' movements before and after the killing.
Video evidence: Police allege that the attack or its aftermath was recorded and transmitted as proof to a handler. Recovering that file and establishing where it was sent would be central to the cross-border claim.
Weapon forensics: Ballistic examination can help determine whether the recovered firearm was used in the killing.
Financial trails: If investigators allege that money was offered from abroad, banking, cryptocurrency or informal transfer records could become important.
Narcotics connections: Police are examining whether alleged drug networks were used to recruit or control the suspects.
Until that evidence is analysed and presented through the legal process, the exact extent of the alleged overseas conspiracy remains unresolved.
Fact Check: What Is Confirmed and What Is Still Alleged?
Confirmed through multiple reports
ASI Harjit Singh was shot dead while on duty in Amritsar on September 18.
Punjab Police identified Deepak Singh as one of the suspects.
Deepak Singh died after an exchange of fire with police on Saturday night.
A second suspect escaped and remained at large in the latest September 21 reporting.
Police recovered a firearm, ammunition, a phone and a scooter.
Punjab announced ₹1 crore ex-gratia assistance for Harjit Singh's family.
Claims made by Punjab Police that remain under investigation
That a Pakistan-based handler orchestrated the killing.
That the accused were promised money and involvement in the narcotics trade.
That they were ordered to kill a lone police officer as proof of loyalty.
That a video of the killing or its aftermath was sent to the handler.
That Deepak had a direct operational connection with Shahzad Bhatti or his network.
Those claims may ultimately be supported by forensic evidence, but they should remain clearly attributed to investigators at this stage.
Latest Status as of September 21
The murder investigation remains active.
One alleged suspect, Deepak Singh, is dead following the police encounter.
A second suspect is being pursued.
Punjab Police say they are carrying out forensic analysis of electronic devices and working to establish the alleged overseas connection.
The Shahzad Bhatti Network was separately declared a terrorist organisation under UAPA by the Union Home Ministry on September 16.
However, no court finding has yet established that the network directed ASI Harjit Singh's killing.
That distinction is essential for factual reporting.
Bottom Line
One of the men accused of killing Punjab ASI Harjit Singh has died in a police encounter in Amritsar, while a second suspect remains at large.
Punjab Police allege that a Pakistan-based handler recruited the attackers and offered money and access to the narcotics trade, but that cross-border link remains under investigation and has not yet been independently established in court.
Key Takeaway
Deepak Singh, accused in ASI Harjit Singh murder, killed in encounter.
Second suspect still at large; police probe Pakistan handler link.
Digital forensics and narcotics angle under examination.
Alleged cross-border conspiracy not yet proven in court.
The Rajatheertha Team publishes news, explainers, guides and updates across India and the world. Our coverage follows Rajatheertha's editorial, verification and corrections standards.
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