Bathinda, April 7: A Bathinda district court on Sunday extended the police remand of dismissed senior constable Amandeep Kaur by two more days in a drug smuggling case that has raised questions about her connections and assets.
Kaur was arrested on April 2 after 17.71 gm of heroin was recovered from a black SUV she was driving on Badal Road in Bathinda. According to investigators, she is proving to be a “tough nut to crack,” with no significant leads emerging from initial questioning.
Four mobile phones—two seized from her vehicle and two recovered from her residence in a posh colony on Multania Road—have been sent to the Digital Investigation Training and Analysis Centre (DITAC) in Mohali to retrieve deleted data. Police believe this could help establish her alleged links to drug trafficking networks and possible patronage by state government functionaries.
“No incriminating evidence has turned up in the phones recovered from the car, but we’re hoping the two phones from her residence will offer more clarity,” a police official said, requesting anonymity.
Investigators are also examining her financial background, with banking and property records awaited. “She appeared to be living beyond her known means,” the official said. “An expensive watch was among the items recovered from her home. We’re verifying the ownership of multiple properties and vehicles, including an Audi, a couple of SUVs, and a Royal Enfield motorcycle.”
Originally from Chak Fateh Singh Wala village, Amandeep joined the police force in 2011 and had been transferred 31 times since. At the time of her arrest, she was attached to Bathinda police lines and working as a record keeper at the civil hospital.
“She often arrived at the hospital in a Thar SUV. It was her second posting there since 2020. Many of her comfortable postings were reportedly due to her proximity to a senior IPS officer,” said an official familiar with the investigation.
Police say she attempted to flee upon spotting the team that intercepted her, as noted in the FIR filed by Assistant Sub-Inspector Manjeet Singh.
A twist in the case emerged when Gurmeet Kaur, a Bathinda resident, alleged that Amandeep had an extramarital affair with her estranged husband, Balwinder Singh. Officials said Gurmeet had tipped off the police and the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) about Amandeep’s suspected involvement. Balwinder has since been named in the case.
Tensions flared at the district court complex on Friday when Balwinder reportedly clashed with Gurmeet Kaur in police presence. Officers quickly intervened.
Meanwhile, Amandeep’s social media following has surged. Her Instagram account, which features 349 reels—including several in police uniform—jumped from 30,000 to over 79,000 followers in just three days.
