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.
On receiving information about the incident, SP City Dinesh Kumar Singh, along with police force, reached the spot. The injured youths were sent to the hospital for treatment and the matter is being investigated.
The Chief Minister said the government is fully sensitive towards checking cross-border infiltration in Punjab. He said Punjab Police is constantly in touch with the Border Security Force (BSF) and other agencies for this purpose.
While briefing the officers, the DGP said the topmost priority of the government, as directed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, is to further strengthen the fight against drugs to make Punjab a drug-free state, besides eliminating the gangster culture, maintaining law and order, and detection of crime.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur announced Rs 5 lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased, whereas Rs 15,000 as immediate relief for the injured. He said free treatment would be provided to the injured.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday carried out his first Cabinet expansion by inducting five legislators, including second-time MLA Aman Arora, into his council of ministers. The expansion came in less than four months of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sweeping to victory in the Assembly elections by winning 92 seats of the 117 seats.
The police have so far managed to nab four of the accused, including one woman, who have been identified as Gurjant Singh (31), Navjot Singh (30), Satpal Singh (28) and Gurpreet Kaur (30).
