Jalandhar, Oct 21 (IANS) The 63rd state-level Police Commemoration Day was observed at the Punjab Armed Police (PAP) headquarters here on Friday to pay tributes to the brave personnel who sacrificed their lives for the unity and integrity of the nation.
Paying tributes to the martyrs, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said the Punjab Police is an exceptional force which served the country both in times of peace and disturbance.
He said 1,792 police officers had sacrificed their lives while fighting terrorism during the period from September 1981 to August 1992.
The total 1,792 martyred police officers include 1,604 officers and constables, while the remaining 188 were from the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF).
A commemoration parade was held at the Police Martyr's memorial constructed inside the PAP campus. After giving a general salute to the DGP, the names of all 261 police martyrs of this year were read out by Commandant 80th Battalion.
A two-minute silence was observed, and later, senior officials laid wreaths at the martyr's memorial.
DGP Yadav, speaking on the occasion, assured fulsome support and cooperation from the state government and Punjab Police to the families of martyrs.
"We will not let the sacrifices of our heroes go in vain. I assure you that the Punjab Police will continue to serve with full dedication and bravery to ensure peace and harmony in the border state," he said.
Post the event, the DGP met the families of martyrs and listened to them sympathetically.
Both -- Mandeep, alias Manna Tuffan, and Manpreet, alias Mani Rayia -- were allegedly involved in the murder of gangster Ranbir Singh, alias Rana Kandowalia. Kandowalia, who was facing dozens of cases of murder and attempt to murder, was gunned down outside a private hospital in Amritsar in August last year. The Bhagwanpuria group had taken the responsibility for the murder.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had ordered a CBI probe into the death of Phogat. The move came after Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant recommended a CBI probe into the case as per demand of Phogat's daughter and people of Haryana.
The two-time chief minister of Punjab had fought the assembly elections in the state earlier this year in alliance with the BJP as well as Akali Dal (Sanyukt). His party - Punjab Lok Congress - though had failed to get even a single seat during the assembly elections.
During deliberations, the Chief Minister envisaged opportunities for mutual collaboration in business and solutions. He said that the alliance could provide on-field handholding to Punjab farmers in best practices of crop management.
Balkaur Singh, whose son was shot dead in daylight on May 29 close to his Moosa village in Punjab on May 28, had complained of uneasiness on Thursday night following which he was admitted to a private hospital in Patiala from where he was shifted to the PGIMER here.
Majithia told the media here that this was also necessary because the AAP government had neither made the FIR registered in this case public even after 24 hours, nor taken any action against any BJP leader or middlemen involved.
