Gurdaspur, Nov 19— A tense standoff ended tragically on Wednesday morning when an ex-armyman, Gurpreet Singh, shot himself at Improvement Trust Colony No. 7 after allegedly killing his wife and mother-in-law the previous night.
Police said Singh, an employee of the Punjab Ex-Servicemen Corporation (PESCO), had taken an AK-47 rifle while on prison duty and threatened a mass shooting in the crowded colony. “Our information indicated that a man armed with an AK-47 was ready to fire in the colony,” said a senior officer.
SSP Aditya led a team of about 200 officers, all in bullet-proof vests, and instructed them to secure the area. Negotiations were attempted, with the SSP assuring Singh that surrender would ensure his safety. Initially reluctant, Singh created a tense silence until a gunshot went off, later found to be accidentally fired by a policeman.
During renewed negotiations, Singh warned, “I will fire as you have come here to arrest me,” before fatally shooting himself minutes later.
Authorities are investigating why Singh first killed his wife and mother-in-law at Khuthi village in Dorangla block on Tuesday night before proceeding to the IT Colony. Police continue to examine the sequence of events and the motive behind the attack.
