Ajnala ASI Shooting Case Cracked: Police Cite Alleged ISI Plot, Main Shooter Hurt in Scuffleਅਜਨਾਲਾ ਏਐਸਆਈ ਗੋਲੀਬਾਰੀ ਕੇਸ ਸੁਲਝਿਆ: ਪੁਲਿਸ ਨੇ ਕਥਿਤ ਆਈਐੱਸਆਈ ਸਾਜ਼ਿਸ਼ ਦਾ ਦਾਅਵਾ ਕੀਤਾ

Punjab Police said on Monday they have solved the October 4 shooting of Assistant Sub-Inspector Sukhchain Singh in the Ajnala area of Amritsar district, arresting most of the men they accuse of carrying out the attack and linking the plan, on their account, to a handler based in Pakistan. The announcement came at a briefing by Border Range Inspector General Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, and it was followed the same afternoon by a scuffle in which the alleged main shooter was shot in the leg while police were recreating the attack scene.

What happened on October 4?

Sukhchain Singh, who is posted with the Government Railway Police in Amritsar, was riding home in plain clothes on the evening of October 4 when, police say, three men on a motorcycle opened fire on him with intent to kill. A bullet struck his left arm. He was taken for treatment and, according to the briefing, is out of danger. An FIR was registered at Ajnala police station and the case was initially treated as a blind case, with no identified attackers.

How do police say the case was cracked?

Bhullar credited Amritsar Rural SSP Kanwalpreet Singh Chahal and his team with identifying the accused in quick succession. Police say the weapon used in the attack has been recovered, that only one of the identified men remains at large, and that the others have been arrested. Punjab E News, reporting the same development, put the number arrested at three and described the man injured on Monday as the main shooter.

What is the alleged Pakistan link?

According to the police account given at the briefing, questioning of the arrested men pointed to a conspiracy allegedly hatched by a Pakistan-based ISI agent. Police say the plan was allegedly put into motion through Baljit, described as a criminal who had earlier been lodged in Goindwal Sahib Jail, and that Sahib Gori, from a nearby village, allegedly brought in two associates, named by police as Simranjit and Baljit, after watching the officer's route. These are police allegations at this stage. The accused have not been tried, and Jugti is reporting the claim as the police version, not as an established finding.

Why was the main shooter injured on Monday?

Police say the second incident happened at about 1:15 pm on Monday, when an Ajnala police team took Sahib Gori, described as the main shooter, back to the spot to recreate how the attack unfolded. As he was being taken out of the police vehicle, he allegedly grabbed a .38 bore service revolver from an officer and got hold of it. In the struggle that followed, two shots were fired: one pierced the roof of the police vehicle, and another struck the accused in the leg as an officer's colleague intervened. He was moved for medical treatment.

Why does this case matter beyond Ajnala?

The shooting was one of a series of attacks on Punjab Police personnel in the border belt this year, and the force has repeatedly said such attacks test both policing and public confidence in the border districts. A solved case, if the arrests hold up in court, would close one of the most closely watched of those files: an off-duty officer ambushed on his way home, in an attack police now say was planned rather than spontaneous. The search for the one man police say is still at large continues.

Who is ASI Sukhchain Singh?

Sukhchain Singh is an Assistant Sub-Inspector posted with the Government Railway Police in Amritsar. He was shot in the left arm on October 4 while heading home in plain clothes and is, according to police, out of danger.

How many people have been arrested in the ASI case?

Police say all the accused were identified quickly, only one remains at large and the others are in custody. Punjab E News reported three arrests, including the alleged main shooter, Sahib Gori.

What is the alleged ISI link in this case?

Police say questioning pointed to an alleged Pakistan-based ISI agent who, on their account, hatched the conspiracy. It is an allegation made by police at a briefing and has not been tested in court.

How was the main shooter injured?

Police say that during a recreation of the crime scene on Monday afternoon, the accused snatched an officer's service revolver, two shots were fired in the scuffle, and one struck him in the leg. He was taken for treatment.