Amritsar cop arrested with heroin at border; bomb threat to police HQ rattles city
Amritsar was gripped by a police corruption scandal, a bomb threat to the city's police headquarters, and the arrest of a key suspect in the murder of LGBTQ activist Mad Sandhu this week. A Punjab police officer posted on anti-drone duty near the Pakistan border was held with 16 kg of heroin, while a bomb scare put central government offices on high alert. Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate moved to register an FIR into an alleged land deal scam involving the Punjab Cricket Association.
Punjab police corruption exposed: Anti-drone duty cop arrested with 16 kg heroin
A Punjab Police constable posted on anti-drone duty along the sensitive Pakistan border was arrested after being found in possession of 16 kilograms of heroin. The officer, whose duty was specifically to prevent smuggling by detecting drone-dropped contraband along the international border near Amritsar, was instead found to be carrying the narcotic himself. The case is a stark illustration of the drug menace that continues to plague Punjab despite repeated government pledges to eradicate it. Anti-drone operations were ramped up in recent years after intelligence agencies flagged a surge in Pakistan-based drug syndicates using small unmanned aerial vehicles to drop heroin packets on the Indian side of the border. The arrest of a serving officer assigned precisely to that task raises serious questions about the depth of narcotics infiltration within the state's law enforcement apparatus. Punjab Police authorities have launched an investigation to determine whether the cop was acting alone or was part of a broader network. The seizure is among the largest individual hauls recorded from a serving security personnel in the state this year, underscoring the scale of the cross-border drug trade and the difficulty of policing it even from within official ranks. [3]
🗳️ Bomb threat puts Amritsar Police Commissioner's office on high alert
The Amritsar Police administration was placed on high alert after a written threat was received warning of a plan to blow up the Police Commissioner's office in the city. In response, authorities launched a massive security sweep across several sensitive government premises including the Police Commissioner's office, the Deputy Commissioner's office, the district court complex, and the surrounding areas in central Amritsar. Bomb disposal squads and search teams were deployed to comb through the buildings and their environs. The threat triggered visible concern among residents and litigants who regularly visit the court complex, and officials had to manage public movement while simultaneously conducting the security operation. Though no explosive device was found during the searches, the administration maintained its heightened posture. The incident occurred against the backdrop of several security-related events in Amritsar in recent months, including drone sightings and drug smuggling cases linked to cross-border syndicates. Threat calls targeting police offices and government buildings have emerged as a tactic used by criminal elements, often to test law enforcement response times. Amritsar Police are treating the matter seriously and have initiated efforts to trace the source of the communication. [10]
Key accused in LGBTQ activist Mad Sandhu murder case nabbed from Mumbai
Amritsar Police scored a breakthrough in the high-profile murder case of LGBTQ activist and social media influencer Mad Sandhu, whose real name was Madhusudan, by nabbing a key accused from Mumbai. Madhusudan was killed on October 3 when two motorcycle-borne attackers shot him at close range on Loharka Road in Amritsar. The brazen broad-daylight killing drew widespread attention and sparked outrage, particularly in LGBTQ community circles where Mad Sandhu had been a vocal public figure. The deceased was known for his social media presence and advocacy for LGBTQ rights, making his targeted killing a matter of deep concern for rights groups. Following the murder, Amritsar Police filed a case and began tracking suspects who had fled the city. The main accused was subsequently traced to Mumbai, where he was apprehended. The arrest is a significant development in the case, which had stalled after the initial investigation, and signals that authorities are actively pursuing those responsible for the crime. The slain influencer's case had drawn attention to the safety of LGBTQ activists in Punjab, a state where visibility and advocacy have come at considerable personal risk for community members. [8]
🏢 ED seeks FIR over Punjab Cricket Association's Rs 3 crore per acre land deal
The Enforcement Directorate has sought the registration of an FIR in connection with land deals involving the Punjab Cricket Association's facility in Amritsar. Private firms had originally purchased land at approximately Rs 19 lakh per acre and subsequently sold the same plots to the Punjab Cricket Association at a dramatically inflated price of around Rs 3 crore per acre. The vast differential between the acquisition price and the resale price has drawn the attention of financial crime investigators, who suspect money laundering or fraud in the transactions. The PCA facility in Amritsar is associated with the International Cricket Stadium used for domestic and international matches. Such land deals, where entities close to sporting bodies or government institutions are allegedly used as conduits for inflated transactions, have come under increasing scrutiny from the ED in recent years as part of broader anti-corruption efforts. If an FIR is registered, it would likely trigger a wider forensic probe into the PCA's financial dealings, potentially involving multiple officials and private intermediaries who participated in the land transaction chain over the period in question. [9]
Sources: [3] The Times of India · [10] ETV Bharat · [8] The New Indian Express · [9] India Today