NEW DELHI, India— Two security officers were shot to death in Punjab despite a government security crackdown in the state, the Press Trust of India reported today The news agency said separatist were believed responsible for the attack late Friday night, but did not specify that Sikhs fighting for an independent state in Punjab were involved.
The attack came after measures imposing checks on vehicles and tighter restrictions on public carrying of firearms were adopted to curb “the recent spurt in violent activities in the state. The tight security measures followed attacks on four people, including the head priest of the Golden Temple in Amritsar and three policemen in the last three days. A village official and the priest’s bodyguard were killed. Finance Minister Balwant Singh, second in command to Chief Minister Surjit Singh Barnala, said today there were no indications that recently released Sikh detainees were involved in the violence.
The Press Trust said the two officers were gunned down Friday near Mamdod, about 280 miles northwest of New Delhi, close to the Pakistan border.
The news agency quoted police in the Punjab state capital of Chandigarh as saying three assailants were believed involved. It said the attackers stole the victims’ motorcycle and a revolver.
The tightened security included orders to watch hundreds of Sikhs recently released from Punjab jails closely.
The Sikhs, detained under the National Security Act, were freed on instructions from the Sikh political party, the Akali Dal, which swept to power in September polIs.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 6, 1985
