Passerby killed as 2 drug smugglers fire at police in Amritsar village

A Tarn Taran resident was killed in firing by two drug smugglers at Neshta village in this district on Wednesday night.

Gurjit Singh, 35, a resident of Rasulpur village in Tarn Taran, had come to meet relatives at the village.

The Amritsar Rural police were chasing the two smugglers who had escaped from a police checkpoint when they were asked to stop.

The police seized 5 kg of heroin from the crime scene which the two had dropped while escaping.

Gharinda police station SHO Amandeep Singh said the police got a tip-off about the movement of the two drug smugglers riding a motorcycle. They were on their way to Amritsar.

“The police asked the two to stop. However, they tried to flee,” said Amandeep. He said they asked them to surrender but the two threw away the bag containing drugs, took out a pistol and fired at the police.

However, the bullet hit Gurjit, a passerby. The police rushed him to hospital where he died.

He said a case was registered and raids were on to arrest the two.