Kin of ASI who died chasing drug smugglers yet to get relief

Kapurthala, August 1
Even as the family of Superintendent of Police Baljit Singh, who was gunned down on Monday’s terror attack at Gurdaspur, has been assured of Rs 25 lakh compensation and a job of DSP for his son, another slain cop of Kapurthala who too showed exemplary courage in nabbing drug smugglers has been awaiting compensation or job on compassionate grounds for over two years.
Assistant Sub-Inspector Gurdev Singh (51) was shot dead by drug smugglers on April 1, 2013, during night patrolling at Haveli on Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway. His family is distraught over the treatment meted out to them by the state government.
The accused in the case had been found to be members of druglord Jagdish Bhola’s gang.
Gurdev’s wife Gurmeet Kaur (53) and son Parminder Singh (27), residing at Kapurthala, had recently met the CM on the issue at the residence of SP Baljit ahead of the funeral. However, once again they only got only lip service.
Parminder said he was doing a job abroad when his mother called me back saying that the Punjab Police had assured that it would get him a job here. “I wound up everything there to be with my mother and to settle back in India with the police job. Leave aside job, our family was even visited by any politician to express sympathies with us. Not a penny of compensation has come to us for over two years now.”
A graduate in arts and a trained athlete, Parminder said a file moved by then Senior Superintendent of Police Inderbir Singh with a recommendation of a Sub Inspector’s job for him was yet to be cleared by top officials. “Every time we meet the CM, DGP or the Home Secretary, we are told it is being done. Since I have had nothing to do since then, I am spending time on the agricultural land we have in Sultanpur Lodhi.” The ASI’s younger son is studying, and doing a job side by side, to meet his basic expenses in the UK.
“My husband had fought valiantly against criminals involved in drug trade but the government has so far failed to honour his bravery,” Gurmeet said.