Emotions ran high as the mortal remains of the two Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs), who were shot dead by car borne drug smuggler-criminals and perverts in New Grain Market in Jagraon were consigned to flames with full state honours at their native villages on Sunday. Both ASIs posted in the Crime Investigation Unit (CIA) Wing of Ludhiana Rural Police, following a tip-off regarding liquor smuggling when the incident took place on Saturday evening.Slain ASI Bhagwan Singh, 50, a resident of village Kothe Ath Chak in Jagraon was cremated at his native village. Bhagwan is survived by his wife and 15-year-old son. ASI Dalwinderjit Singh, 48, was cremated in his native village Sangwan, Patti in district Tarn Taran. He is survived by his wife and 2 sons.Both the ASIs were brought in coffins draped in tricolour and a contingent of the Punjab Police Personnel gave a gun salute to the martyrs, prior to which the bugles sounded the Last Post.Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta, terming it as a tragic incident, said that the Punjab Police had lost two brave officers, while chasing trigger happy criminals.
He said that the Punjab Police would always stand solidly with their martyr families. He assured that the families of both officers would be paid a sum of 1 crore rupees each by the HDFC Bank, besides other benefits like jobs etc. for the wards of slain police personnel.The DGP led senior police officials in observing a 2 minute silence in memory of both the slain officers to pay homage during a meeting of all senior Police officers posted in the Headquarters and the districts, including all CPs and SSPs.The DGP assured that the sacrifice of both the officers won’t go in vain and he directed all the Police Chiefs to intensify the manhunt in their concerned districts and nab the accused persons involved in this case at the earliest.Meanwhile, Special DGP Sanjeev Kalra accompanied by IG Nau Nihal Singh, Deputy Commissioner Ludhiana Varinder Sharma and SSP Ludhiana Rural Charanjit Singh Sohal attended the cremation of ASI Bhagwan Singh and laid wreaths on behakf of the DGP and the entire Punjab Police force in Jagraon. Similarly, last rites of ASI Dalwinderjit Singh were held in Tarn Taran in the presence of Special DGP IPS Sahota, Deputy Commissioner Tarn Taran Kulwant Singh and SSP Dhruman H Nimbale and wreaths were laid by all the senior officers to pay their tearful homage to the police martyr.