Gurdaspur SP Baljit Singh, who was killed fighting terrorists in Dinanagar town of Punjab, was cremated with full state honours on Wednesday. People from all walks of life bid him a tearful adieu. Punjab Police DGP Sumedh Singh Saini and other top officers of the force laid wreaths on his body. Many Akali leaders, including Bibi Jagir Kaur, Punjab BJP president Kamal Sharma and All-India Anti-Terrorist Front Chairman MS Bitta also paid tributes.
A gun salute was paid to Singh by a contingent of the Punjab police, prior to which buglers sounded the Last Post. The funeral pyre was lit in the afternoon by the police officer’s son Maninder.
On Tuesday, Singh’s family had refused to cremate him till the state government handed over appointment letters of SP rank to his son and post of tehsildar to his daughters, but later decided to drop their demand following assurances from authorities.
Earlier on Wednesday, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal visited Singh’s family in Kapurthala and said that the countrymen would always be indebted to the sacrifice made by the SP, who attained martyrdom to safeguard the nation’s security and sovereignty.
Singh was the son of police inspector <g data-gr-id="22">Achhar</g> Singh, who too was killed by militants during the height of militancy in Punjab in 1984. He is survived by his son Maninder (24), daughters Parminder Kaur (22) and Ravinder Kaur (20).