CHANDIGARH / GURDASPUR — The Punjab and Haryana High Court has taken suo motu notice of the controversial police encounter involving 19-year-old Ranjit Singh, escalating a case that has already triggered a massive political firestorm in the state. In a significant judicial intervention on Thursday, March 5, 2026, the High Court summoned Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav to appear via video conferencing for a hearing scheduled at 2:00 PM. The court’s decision to step in follows mounting public and political pressure regarding the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s death in Gurdaspur district last week.
The legal scrutiny stems from an incident that began on February 22, 2026, when Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Gurnam Singh and Home Guard jawan Ashok Kumar were found shot dead at a police checkpost in Adhian village, near the international border. Following the double murder, Punjab Police identified three local youths—Ranjit Singh, Dilawar Singh, and Inderjit Singh—as suspects, alleging they acted on behalf of Pakistan-based ISI handlers for a payment of ₹20,000. While Dilawar was arrested, Ranjit Singh was killed in what police described as a retaliatory shooting near Puranashala after he allegedly escaped custody and opened fire on his escort party.
However, the “poetic justice” narrative presented by the police has been fiercely contested by Ranjit Singh’s family and opposition parties. Relatives claim the 19-year-old was picked up from his home for questioning on February 24 and was subsequently killed in cold blood while in police custody. Allegations of a “staged encounter” have been bolstered by reports of police removing CCTV cameras from the village and the failure to provide immediate forensic transparency. The High Court has reportedly linked this case with other high-profile security matters, including the murder of kabaddi promoter Rana Balachauria and ongoing concerns regarding gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
As the 2:00 PM hearing approaches, the Punjab government finds itself under intense judicial and political heat. The Shiromani Akali Dal and other opposition groups have renewed their demands for a CBI-led investigation, arguing that the real perpetrators behind the border-area killings remain at large. The DGP is expected to provide a detailed sequence of events and explain the lack of verifiable digital evidence from the encounter site. For the family of Ranjit Singh, who have refused to cremate the body pending an independent post-mortem, the High Court’s intervention represents a critical step toward uncovering the truth behind the fatal shooting.
