Chandigarh, February 25 Police arrested one and killed another of the three people allegedly involved in the murder of two police officers in Gurdaspur, an officer said on Wednesday.
The three carried out the killings at the behest of their handlers based in Pakistan, backed by the intelligence agency ISI, the officer said.
The third accused is still at large, and a search for him is on, the officer said.
The Punjab Police identified the three as Ranjit Singh (19), Inderjit Singh (21), both residents of Adhian village, and Dilawar Singh (19), a resident of Alinangal village.
On Sunday, assistant sub-inspector Gurnam Singh and home guard Ashok Kumar were found dead with gunshot wounds inside a checkpost in Adhian village, about 2 km from the international border.
Speaking to reporters in Gurdaspur, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Border Range) Sandeep Goel said they had arrested Dilawar Singh and Ranjit Singh in connection with the murder and found that they were in contact with handlers based in Pakistan, backed by the ISI, to kill the police officers.
He said that Ranjit told the police that he had hidden the weapon used in the crime in an area under the jurisdiction of the Behrampur Police Station.
When a team of police was taking him to recover the weapon, the police car overturned near Galrhi village due to fog.
Taking advantage of this, Ranjit managed to escape, Goel said.
After the escape, police sounded a red alert in the area, he said.
The officer said that a police team at around 3 am flagged a motorcycle near the Purana Shala area on the Gurdaspur-Mukerian road, but the rider tried to speed away and opened fire.
The police shot Ranjit in retaliation. He was taken to the Civil Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, the DIG said.
A policeman also sustained a bullet wound in his arm in the encounter, he said.
Goel said that Dilawar Singh was offered Rs 20,000 by his handlers for the task, and he had received Rs 3,000.
On Sunday, at about 8.15 am, Adhian village sarpanch Kamaljeet Singh visited the local checkpost and found the ASI and the home guard dead with bullet wounds. He had earlier called the Dorangla SHO, telling him that the two police officers were not answering his calls.
While the ASI's body was found on a chair with his hands in his pockets, the home guard was lying dead on a cot, the police said.
The area where the bodies were found is a hotbed of heroin smuggling and arms drop-offs by drones from across the border.
Posters allegedly issued by an outfit calling itself Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan (TTH) circulated on social media, claiming responsibility for the killings.
