Milpitas(California), Satnam Singh Chahal, Executive Director, North American Punjabi Association (NAPA), has expressed deep concern over the latest firing incident outside the residence of former Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh in Amritsar, saying the incident once again exposes the disturbing deterioration of law and order and the growing sense of insecurity in Punjab. According to reports, a bullet struck the bonnet of a Punjab Police SUV parked outside Giani Raghbir Singh’s residence in Pratap Nagar, Amritsar. The incident reportedly occurred late on August 12 and came to light the following evening when the vehicle was being cleaned. Police have recovered a .32-calibre projectile/cartridge and are examining CCTV footage as part of the investigation.“This is not merely a bullet hitting a police vehicle. It is a bullet hitting Punjab’s confidence in its own security system,” said Satnam Singh Chahal. “When a former Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, with a Punjab Police security vehicle stationed outside his residence, can have a bullet strike that vehicle, ordinary Punjabis are justified in asking: Who is actually safe in Punjab today?”
NAPA said the concern is not limited to a single individual or incident. From ordinary citizens to businessmen, journalists, social activists, political workers, religious personalities and elected representatives, the perception of insecurity has been growing. If a VIP or religious leader surrounded by security can face such an incident, what protection can an ordinary Punjabi expect when he or she becomes a target of violence? Police officials have so far indicated that the investigation has not established that the residence itself was deliberately targeted. Preliminary examination reportedly suggests that the bullet travelled from an elevated direction, while investigators are examining CCTV footage and other evidence to establish the exact firing point and circumstances. A young man on a scooter was reportedly captured on CCTV in the area, but there is no conclusive evidence that he was responsible for the firing.NAPA cautions against jumping to conclusions before the investigation is completed. At the same time, Satnam Singh Chahal said the government cannot hide behind the phrase “investigation is underway” every time a serious security incident occurs. “The people deserve answers. Who fired the shot? From where? Why was a firearm discharged in a residential area? Was it an accidental or deliberate firing? How did the security apparatus fail to detect or prevent it? These questions must be answered transparently.”
The incident becomes even more disturbing because it comes amid another high-profile security incident involving Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was attacked at a gurdwara in Nanded on August 13. There is currently no evidence establishing any connection between the Amritsar firing and the Nanded attack, and NAPA stresses that the two incidents must not be linked without evidence.“Punjab cannot become a place where people learn about their security only after a bullet has already been fired,” Chahal said. “A modern policing system is not measured simply by the number of arrests made after an incident. It is measured by its ability to prevent violence before the first shot is fired.”NAPA has called upon the Punjab Government and Punjab Police to conduct a thorough, independent and time-bound investigation into the Amritsar incident, examine every available CCTV camera, scientifically establish the trajectory of the bullet, identify the source of the firing and make the findings public, without allowing political or institutional considerations to interfere with the investigation.
Chahal said Punjab needs to move beyond slogans about “zero tolerance” and demonstrate zero tolerance through effective policing, intelligence gathering, accountability and protection of citizens. “Every government claims that law and order is under control. But the real test is the confidence of the common citizen walking on a Punjab street, not the press conference of the government.”“The message from this incident should be crystal clear: Punjab cannot afford to become a state where the common man fears the criminal, the businessman fears extortion, the political worker fears violence, the religious leader fears attack and even a police security vehicle is not safe outside a protected residence.”
NAPA urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the Punjab Police leadership to treat the incident as a serious warning rather than an isolated occurrence. “The government must restore the basic principle of governance: the law-abiding citizen must feel safer than the criminal. If that equation is reversed, then no amount of publicity about development can hide the crisis of public security.”Chahal concluded: “From the common man to the VIP, from religious leaders to political leaders, Punjab must be a state where every life is protected equally. A bullet striking a police vehicle outside the home of a former Akal Takht Jathedar should not be dismissed as just another crime story. It should be treated as a warning bell for the entire Punjab government.”