Punjab cop shot dead, colleague injured as they try to stop clash at Tarn Taran village

Tarn Taran: A police sub-inspector (SI) was shot dead, and an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) broke his arm, when they were attempting to resolve a dispute at Kot Muhammad Khan village near Khadoor Sahib on Wednesday night.The two cops were part of a team from Sri Goindwal Sahib police station that had gone to village after a scuffle had broken out between two groups in the village, said senior superintendent of police (SSP) Abhimanyu Rana. "SI Charanjit Singh sustained a fatal bullet injury and passed away despite being rushed to the hospital, while ASI Jasbir Singh was injured," said SSP Rana.According to locals, the clash took place in the backdrop of an ongoing 10-day-old fight between two political groups. Tensions flared up on Wednesday morning, leading to a clash between the two groups. A meeting to settle the dispute was scheduled for 4 pm, but one faction continued to create unrest. The opposing group reported the chaos to the police helpline, prompting a police response.When the police team was trying to resolve the issue at 9.35pm, the two factions clashed again. The SSP said cases were registered against over 20 persons from both groups, and three weapons were recovered from their possession. He added an investigation was under way to reach the bottom of the incident.CM hails cop: ‘Boundless courage'Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, in a post his X account, paid tributes to the deceased police sub-inspector. "Salute to the bravery of martyr sub-inspector Charanjit Singh, who sacrificed his life while performing his duty in Tarn Taran district. His boundless courage and dedication to service will always be remembered," wrote Mann. He said Punjab govt will provide an ex gratia of ₹1 crore, and HDFC Bank will pay another ₹1 crore to the family as insurance cover.