- One accused in Punjab police ASI murder was killed in an encounter
- Deepak Singh and his aide had chased and shot Harjit in Amritsar on Friday
- The accused's link with a Pakistan-based terrorist is also under scanner
One of the two accused in the murder of an assistant sub-inspector of Punjab Police has been killed in an encounter, with the investigators probing his links with a Pakistan-based terrorist.
The accused, identified as Deepak Singh, a resident of Amritsar's Mulchak, had chased and shot dead the senior police officer, Harjit Singh, along with his aide, on Friday.
Police said CCTV footage, technical inputs, tower-dump analysis, local intelligence and human sources were used to identify and trace the accused.
They said they signalled two suspects on a scooter to stop at a police checkpoint at around 9.45 pm.
They fired four rounds, prompting the police to retaliate in self-defence, a senior officer told reporters.
During retaliation, 19-year-old Deepak sustained bullet injuries. He was taken to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
The second accused managed to escape, and police teams are continuing efforts to trace him, the officer said.
Police said a .30 bore pistol, two magazines, eight live cartridges, a mobile phone, and a Honda Activa scooter allegedly used in the crime have been recovered.
Investigators are also probing a Pakistan-based terror connection in the case.
According to information emerging during the investigation, a Pakistan-based terrorist allegedly offered money to the accused for carrying out the attack.
Deepak was previously jailed in a drugs case, and was released in April.
Harjit Singh, a resident of Tarn Taran district, was on PCR duty when he was shot from point-blank range by the two men on bike around midnight in the Bhagtanwala grain market.
"A single bullet struck him from behind, slightly towards the back of the neck," Punjab's Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav had told reporters after inspecting the crime scene Friday morning.
A .30 bore empty cartridge case was recovered from the spot.
