Amritsar Shaken by Two Police Killings, Terror Probe, and Canal Flood
Amritsar endured a violent and turbulent week in September 2026, with a Punjab Police ASI shot dead by motorcycle-borne gunmen during his early-morning patrol — the second officer killed in Punjab within a week. As investigators probed a potential Pakistan terror connection to the killings, a separate canal breach near Chatiwind Chowk flooded residential areas, compounding the strain on local authorities. Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav personally visited the crime scene, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
ASI Harjit Singh Shot Dead on Morning Patrol
The New Indian Express reported that Punjab Police Assistant Sub-Inspector Harjit Singh was killed while performing PCR duty in Amritsar in the early hours of September 18. The incident unfolded at approximately 3 am when two unidentified men, riding a motorcycle, approached ASI Harjit Singh and shot him multiple times at close range before fleeing the scene. Singh was on Police Control Room patrol duty at the time of the attack, making the assault a direct and brazen targeting of an on-duty officer. The killing sent shockwaves through the Punjab Police force, which was already mourning a colleague killed under similar circumstances within the previous week. Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav responded to the gravity of the attack by personally traveling to the crime scene in Amritsar to oversee the investigation firsthand. The New Indian Express noted that the DGP's visit to the location where Singh was shot underscored how seriously the state's top law enforcement official viewed the targeted killing. Authorities immediately launched a search for the motorcycle-borne assailants, while the attack reignited widespread concern among police personnel and residents about officer safety during nighttime patrols in the city. [5]
Youth Also Killed in Separate Amritsar Shooting
The Tribune reported that Amritsar witnessed not one but two separate fatal shootings in the same period. Alongside the killing of ASI Harjit Singh during his police patrol duty, a youth was also shot dead in a distinct and unrelated incident within the city. The two separate killings occurring in close temporal proximity shone a harsh light on gun violence in Amritsar, raising urgent questions about law and order and the safety of ordinary residents. The Tribune's report on the dual incidents highlighted the breadth of the violence that gripped the city that week, with gun attacks claiming lives both among the police force and in civilian circles. While details of the youth's identity and the precise circumstances of his killing were not fully elaborated in the report, the simultaneous emergence of two separate fatal shootings within Amritsar placed enormous pressure on authorities to demonstrate control over a situation that appeared to be escalating. The convergence of violence in both law enforcement and civilian contexts deepened community anxiety and raised urgent demands for a stronger state response to the city's deteriorating security environment. [6]
Murder Accused Killed, Pakistan Terror Link Under Investigation
India Today reported a dramatic and violent turn in the Amritsar ASI murder case: an individual identified as the accused in the killing of ASI Harjit Singh was himself shot dead in retaliatory firing. The elimination of the accused added an additional layer of violence to an already grave week of gun crimes in Amritsar, complicating the investigation into who ultimately orchestrated the attacks. Simultaneously, India Today reported that security agencies were actively probing a potential link between the Amritsar police killings and Pakistan-based terror networks. The possible Pakistan terror connection raised the profile of the case significantly, suggesting that the attacks on Punjab Police officers may not have been purely local criminal acts but could be tied to cross-border militant networks known to have historically targeted law enforcement in Punjab. Security agencies and investigative teams were reported to be pursuing leads along this angle even as the retaliatory killing of the accused introduced new variables into the overall picture. The Pakistan terror link probe represented a significant escalation in how authorities characterized the threat level behind the targeted Amritsar attacks, drawing in national security dimensions alongside local law enforcement concerns. [10]
Canal Breach Near Chatiwind Chowk Floods Residential Areas
ANI reported on September 19 that a breach in a canal near Chatiwind Chowk in Amritsar caused flooding across nearby residential and civic areas. The water from the damaged canal spilled into the surrounding neighborhoods, disrupting daily life and creating hazardous conditions for residents living close to the canal infrastructure. Local administration responded promptly to the emergency, undertaking steps to reduce the water level in the canal as the primary measure to control the spread of flooding and limit further damage. ANI photographed Amritsar South MLA Inderbir Singh Nijjar at the site, indicating that elected representatives were monitoring the emergency situation on the ground alongside administrative officials. The breach at Chatiwind Chowk came at an already challenging time for the city, which was simultaneously managing the aftermath of two separate fatal shootings that had commanded statewide attention. The combined burden of a security crisis and a sudden flooding incident placed significant demands on local government resources and emergency services, testing Amritsar's capacity to manage multiple concurrent urban crises and underscoring the need for stronger infrastructure maintenance along the city's canal network. [9]
Sources: [5] The New Indian Express · [6] The Tribune · [10] India Today · [9] ANI News