As per reports, personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) noticed two to three drones in the airspace around the airport at about 9.30 pm. They quickly alerted the control room. Security arrangements were then checked and flights were stopped for a while as a precaution.

Which flights were affected

• Air India flight AI-855 from Delhi was sent back to Delhi
• IndiGo flight 6E-5028 from Mumbai was diverted to Chandigarh
• Malaysia Airlines flight MH-118 from Kuala Lumpur was diverted to Delhi

The sudden change left a number of passengers stuck at the airport. Some of them were angry about the diversions and cancellations. They said no official was available at once to answer their questions.

Airport Director Anirudh Kumar Sharma said security staff had reported the drone activity and the flights were diverted only as a precaution. He said things were back to normal after 10.30 pm and that passengers’ problems were handled afterwards.

Seven flights were also hit in September

Drone activity was also reported near the airport on September 6, when seven flights were affected. Between 9.40 pm and 9.50 pm that night, suspected drones were seen flying near the airport’s runway and operational area. As a precaution, airport authorities stopped operations completely for around 90 minutes.

During this time, seven commercial flights bound for Amritsar were diverted to Delhi and Chandigarh. These included flights of Malaysia Airlines, Air India and IndiGo.

September drones were linked to a sports event

Later, an initial probe by the Punjab Police and security agencies found that the September incident was not a security breach or a case of spy drones. According to the findings, the drones were being flown during a sports tournament in a village close to the airport.

It is not yet clear whether the latest drone activity has any such explanation. Officials have not shared any details so far  and this report will be updated when more information comes in.

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The incident took place around 6 pm, when the attackers reportedly fired four rounds at Mad Sandhu in a public area before fleeing the spot. He sustained serious injuries and was rushed to a private hospital. However, he reportedly died on the way.

Goldy Dhillon claims responsibility for Mad Sandhu murder

Goldy Dhillon has allegedly claimed responsibility for the murder of influencer Mad Sandhu in a social media post. In the post, Dhillon reportedly stated that he and Jagga Tarn Taran were taking responsibility for the killing. He also issued threats against those allegedly promoting the accused through social media and warned schools against inviting them as chief guests. The post further contained threatening remarks about individuals outside Punjab and those who had not responded to calls regarding security. Police are expected to verify the authenticity of the post and investigate the claims.

PTC News does not independently verity the authenticity of the post

A video purportedly linked to the incident has also surfaced on social media. It shows Sandhu lying injured on the road, with his companions trying to lift him. Empty bullet shells can also be seen scattered near the spot.

The police reached the area soon after receiving information about the shooting. DCP Prabhjot Singh said the police had recovered two empty shells from the scene and formed a team to investigate the case.

Posted his last reel hours before shooting

Mad Sandhu had uploaded what appears to be his final Instagram reel at around 5 pm on Saturday, roughly an hour before the shooting.

The reel carried a Punjabi caption in which he appeared to talk about wanting to get married and referred to dealing with a “badmash” or troublesome person.

Controversy with Nihang group three months ago

Around three months before his death, Mad Sandhu had reportedly been involved in a dispute with Nihang jathedar Manpreet Singh Khalsa.

During the controversy, objections were raised over Sandhu’s social media content, clothing and some of his older videos. The Nihang side had reportedly advised him to stay away from content that, according to them, could negatively influence Punjab’s culture and young people.

Sandhu later defended himself, saying he had made changes in his life and had stopped repeating mistakes from the past. He also alleged that his old videos were being circulated again to unnecessarily reignite the controversy.

Sandhu had also earlier been involved in a social media controversy involving Punjabi singer KS Makhan.

The dispute reportedly began after comments made by the singer during a live show and podcast, where Sandhu's style and lifestyle were discussed. The matter subsequently spilled onto social media, with both sides exchanging statements.

The police are further investigation the matter and trying to establish sequence of events surrounding the killing. 

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Following the incident, the victim's family members and relatives staged a protest on the road, demanding justice and strict action against the teacher whom they have accused of harassing the teenager.

According to the family, she was a student at Mall Mandi Memorial School. They alleged that she had been removed from school for around 10 to 15 days following a dispute involving some students.

The family further claimed that when the victim returned to school after nearly a month, a teacher allegedly used insulting language against her and again asked her to leave the school. Relatives also alleged that the teacher made disparaging remarks about her studies and her aspirations for the future.

According to her family, their daughter wanted to become a police officer. They alleged that her ambition was also mocked.

The family believes that the alleged incidents had a serious impact on her mental well-being and that she subsequently took the extreme step.

After her death, family members and relatives gathered on the road and staged a protest, seeking an impartial investigation, registration of a case and the arrest of the teacher named in their allegations. They have also demanded strict legal action and termination of the teacher’s employment.

Police officials, including ACP Ravinder Singh, are looking into the matter. The school management and the teacher concerned could not be contacted for the comments. The circumstances surrounding the teenager’s death will become clearer as the police investigation progresses.

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A police official also had a narrow escape during the incident. A bullet fired by the accused reportedly grazed the arm of Mattewal SHO Daljit Singh.

Police set up checkpoint after tip-off

According to Amritsar Rural SSP Kanwalpreet Singh Chahal, the Mattewal SHO and his team had received information that Harman, who is wanted in several serious criminal cases, was moving around the area and could be planning another crime.

Acting on the information, the police set up a checkpoint near a canal in the area towards Bhoa and Chugawan.

During the operation, Harman allegedly arrived alone on a Splendor motorcycle. The police signalled him to stop, but instead of complying, he allegedly pulled out a pistol and opened fire at the police team.

The accused reportedly fired three to four rounds, with one bullet passing very close to SHO Daljit Singh's arm.

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Police returned fire

SSP Chahal said the police first fired into the air and warned Harman to surrender. However, he allegedly continued firing. The police then fired back in self-defence. Three rounds were fired by the police, one of which hit Harman in the leg. He fell to the ground after being injured and was subsequently taken into custody.

The police recovered an alleged illegal .32-bore pistol, live ammunition and empty cartridges from the spot.

Wanted in Gurdaspur grenade attack case

According to the police, Harman is a proclaimed offender (PO) and was wanted in connection with the reported grenade attack at Hanuman Chowk in Gurdaspur.

He is also facing a case registered at Mattewal police station in connection with an alleged attempt on a person's life.

The police said three serious criminal cases, including attempt to murder and snatching, are currently registered against him.

After receiving medical treatment, Harman is expected to be produced before a court, where the police will seek his remand.

The new system has been implemented in line with directions issued by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) corporate headquarters in New Delhi.

Under the updated arrangement, an Automated Vehicle Parking Management System has been introduced at the airport. The system is aimed at making parking operations more transparent and efficient while reducing dependence on manual management.

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For two-wheelers, the parking fee will be Rs 20 for up to 30 minutes, Rs 30 for 30 to 60 minutes and Rs 40 for 60 to 120 minutes. After two hours, an additional Rs 5 will be charged for every hour, up to 24 hours.

For private cars, the fee has been fixed at Rs 60 for up to 30 minutes, Rs 90 for 30 to 60 minutes and Rs 120 for 60 to 120 minutes. After two hours, an additional Rs 10 will be charged per hour.

For tempo travellers and mini buses, the charges are Rs 180, Rs 270 and Rs 360 for the three respective time slots. After two hours, Rs 30 per additional hour will be charged.

For buses, coaches and trucks, the charges are Rs 300 for up to 30 minutes, Rs 450 for 30 to 60 minutes and Rs 600 for 60 to 120 minutes. After two hours, the additional charge will be Rs 50 per hour.

Rs 500 fine for parking violations

Airport authorities have also warned visitors against parking or waiting in the terminal's designated pick-up and drop-off lanes. Vehicles found violating the rule may face a Rs 500 penalty along with clamping.

However, the incident has raised questions about how the drones were allowed to fly so close to the airport despite restrictions in place around the sensitive zone.

Under the existing restrictions, drone flights are not permitted within an 8-km radius of Amritsar airport.

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The incident was reported around 10 pm on Sunday when drone-like objects were seen flying in the airport's operational area.

The objects were reportedly visible near the runway and surrounding areas for some time. After noticing the activity, Air Traffic Control (ATC) issued an alert and temporarily stopped landing operations.

As a precaution, seven flights bound for Amritsar were prevented from landing. Their routes were changed, with some flights diverted to Delhi and Chandigarh.

The situation also prompted the CISF, Punjab Police and other security agencies to step up security around the airport.

The location of Amritsar, close to the India-Pakistan border, made the drone sighting particularly sensitive from a security point of view.

Probe reveals source of drones

The Rajasaansi police conducted an investigation after receiving information about the drone activity. According to the police, a sports tournament was being held in a village located some distance from the airport. A person involved in the event had flown a drone to record video footage of the tournament. The investigation found no indication that the drones were being used for any suspicious purpose.

Police probe violation of drone restrictions

Raja Sansi SHO Gurpreet Singh said duty officer ASI Niranjan Singh conducted an inquiry into the incident.

The investigation confirmed that the drone was connected to the sports tournament.

However, the police are now looking into why the drone was flown despite the restrictions around the airport.

Officials said the district administration has prohibited drone operations within an 8-km radius of the airport because of security concerns.

The police are examining the violation and will take necessary action as per the applicable rules.

Meanwhile, Amritsar Airport Director Anirudh Kumar Sharma said drone movement was reported near Sri Guru Ramdas Jee International Airport late Sunday night, following which the airport’s airspace remained closed for several hours. Around seven flights were diverted during the disruption. Of these, five flights have since returned to Amritsar, while one flight was cancelled and another is expected to return to the airport today.

Sharma said the situation at the airport is now completely normal, with flights continuing to take off and land as usual. He added that the airport authorities had informed the Amritsar police about the incident. While passengers had to face some inconvenience due to the disruption, he said the precautionary measures were necessary to ensure their safety.

After the sighting of the suspected drones, the Air Traffic Control (ATC) temporarily stopped landing operations as a safety measure. Seven flights heading to Amritsar were diverted to Delhi and Chandigarh.

The incident was reported around 10 pm. Flying objects were seen near the runway and other restricted parts of the airport. As per preliminary information, they may have entered the area from the direction of Rudala village and stayed in the air for several minutes.

ATC suspends landings

Following the sighting, the ATC immediately alerted the authorities concerned and suspended landing operations. The decision was taken as a precaution to ensure that there was no threat to aircraft approaching or operating around the airport. Several domestic and international flights were affected during the disruption.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH-118, arriving from Kuala Lumpur, was diverted to Delhi. IndiGo flights 6E-5028 from Mumbai and 6E-2045 from Delhi were sent to Chandigarh.

Two Air India services, AI-479 and AI-855, which were flying from Delhi to Amritsar, were also turned back to Delhi.

IndiGo flight 6E-1428 from Sharjah and Air India Express flight IX-120, also coming from Sharjah, were diverted to Delhi.

Security agencies alerted

The suspected drone activity prompted an immediate security response at the airport. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Punjab Police and other central security agencies were informed about the incident.

Security teams began checking the area and monitoring the situation closely.

No confirmation on whether objects were drones

Officials had not immediately confirmed whether the objects spotted near the airport were drones, unmanned aerial vehicles or something else. Their exact source and how they reached the airport's operational zone were also not clear at the time.

The incident is being taken seriously because Amritsar is a border district and the airport's operational area falls within a sensitive security zone.

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Further details are expected once security agencies complete their assessment of the incident.

The police have arrested the person accused of carrying out the alleged act. The accused has been identified as Mandeep Singh.

According to information available, the incident took place inside the Golden Temple complex on Thursday morning. Following the incident, the accused was taken into custody and handed over to the police.

SGPC member Kulwant Singh Mannan said Gurbani has a central place in Sikh life and guides people towards a better way of living. He said incidents involving the desecration of sacred scriptures are deeply hurtful to the Sikh community.

He said the matter is particularly serious because the incident allegedly took place inside the Golden Temple complex.

He also called for a detailed investigation to determine whether anyone else was involved in planning or facilitating the incident. 

The SGPC handed over the accused to the police and urged the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and take strict action according to law.

Accused's mother says he has been suffering from mental illness

After Mandeep Singh's arrest, his mother, Jagjit Kaur, also spoke about his condition. She claimed that her son has been suffering from schizophrenia since 2015 and that his mental health had affected his behaviour and thinking.

According to the family, Mandeep's father had also suffered from a similar mental health condition in the past.

Jagjit Kaur said before his illness, Mandeep had strong faith in God and was religious in his outlook. However, she said his behaviour and views changed after he began struggling with mental illness.

She said Mandeep would often question the existence of God and say that if God existed, his life would not have reached such a difficult situation.

The family described Mandeep as an educated young man who had been dealing with mental health problems for several years.

Mother appeals for treatment

Jagjit Kaur appealed to the police and authorities to ensure that her son receives proper medical treatment.

She said the family believes Mandeep's mental condition needs to be taken into account while the case is investigated.

According to the family, Mandeep left home around 8.30 am on Thursday, telling his mother that he was going to get milk. Around 10 am, his mother came to know that some people had taken him with them after the incident.

The police investigation is underway. 

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