Chandigarh

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday announced an ex-gratia of ₹1 crore each for the families of two police personnel who were found dead with bullet injuries at a checkpost near the India-Pakistan border in Gurdaspur district.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Gurnam Singh and Home Guard personnel Ashok Kumar, posted at a checkpost in Adhian village, around two kilometres from the international border, were found dead inside the post on Sunday.

In a post on X, Mann paid tribute to the deceased personnel, calling them martyrs who laid down their lives in the line of duty. He said the state government would extend an ex-gratia of ₹1 crore each to their families, while HDFC Bank would provide an additional insurance cover of ₹1 crore each.

“We stand firmly with the families of our brave personnel. Their sacrifice is a reminder of the courage and commitment with which our forces serve the state,” the chief minister said.

A forensic team visited the site on Monday as part of the investigation, a police official said, adding that the case is being examined from multiple angles.

The incident came to light after the sarpanch of Adhian village was alerted by the Dorangla station house officer when repeated calls to the checkpost went unanswered. Upon reaching the post in the morning, the sarpanch found both personnel dead with gunshot wounds.

Police said the ASI was found seated on a chair, while the home guard was lying on a cot inside the checkpost.

Following the incident, posters purportedly issued by a group calling itself Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan circulated on social media, claiming responsibility for the killings. However, police officials dismissed the claim as fake.

The area near the checkpost is considered sensitive due to frequent incidents of cross-border smuggling of narcotics and weapons using drones.

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Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal criticised the AAP-led Punjab government over the incident, alleging a breakdown of law and order in the state.