Gurdaspur ex-serviceman goes on killing spree; shoots self with AK-47 after killing wife and mother-in-law
PTC Web Desk: High tension prevailed in Improvement Trust Colony No. 7, Gurdaspur, on Wednesday after a Punjab Ex-Servicemen Corporation (PESCO) employee and former soldier allegedly stormed into the residential area with a stolen AK-47 rifle. Nearly 200 police personnel were deployed as the police launched a large-scale operation to contain the threat.
The suspect, identified as Gurpreet Singh, is accused of stealing the assault rifle during security duty at the district jail. The police said on Tuesday night he allegedly shot dead his wife and mother-in-law in Khuthi village, Dorangla block, before fleeing to the IT Colony.
Early Wednesday, the police received alerts that the armed man was prepared to “open fire indiscriminately” in the neighbourhood. SSP Aditya led the operation and cordoned off the entire block within minutes. Officers, equipped with bullet-proof vests, spread out across the colony as negotiations began.
Despite repeated assurances that he would not be harmed if he surrendered, Gurpreet initially refused to engage. During the standoff, panic rose after a gunshot was heard; however, it was later confirmed that the round was accidentally fired by a policeman, leading to a sharp reprimand from the SSP.
Negotiations resumed but the accused continued to threaten officers against arresting him. Minutes later, another gunshot was heard, this time fired by Gurpreet himself. He sustained critical injuries in the incident.
The police said a detailed investigation is underway to establish the motive behind the killings and to piece together the sequence of events that led to the dramatic standoff.
- PTC NEWS
