Rampura (Amritsar), Dec 7
Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Ravinderpal Singh, who was shot dead on Wednesday by youths harassing his daughter, was cremated at his native village today with state honours.

Rana unrepentant  The prime accused in the killing of ASI Ravinderpal Singh, Ranjit Singh Rana (in pic), is unrepentant. When mediapersons visited him on Friday in hospital where he is undergoing treatment, he said it all happened in the heat of the moment. (Details on Punjab page)

Senior police officials, including IGP, Border Range, RP Mittal, Deputy IGP Paramraj Umranangal and Amritsar Police Commissioner Ram Singh, attended the funeral. The pyre was lit by the ASI’s daughter Robinjeet Kaur and son Navpreet Singh.

An inconsolable Robinjeet pledged to avenge her father’s killing. She fainted repeatedly as the last rites were being performed. A wailing Paramjeet Kaur, the deceased’s wife, demanded justice. There was shock and anger among the mourners.

Former minister and Attari legislator Gulzar Singh Ranike was the lone SAD leader to attend the cremation. Former SAD legislator Veer Singh Lopoke and district SAD chief Upkar Singh Sandhu were also present. Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia was conspicuous by his absence. Chief Parliamentary Secretary Navjot Kaur Sidhu was with the bereaved family all through the cremation ceremony. Amritsar Mayor BR Arora and district BJP chief Naresh Sharma were the other BJP leaders present. Sidhu said it was time for introspection for all political parties.

"The parties should identify its members with a criminal background and shunt them out while the police should not brook political interference," she said, adding that the incident had hit the image of the SAD-BJP government.

Talking to the mediapersons, a devastated Robinjeet said she would join as Sub-Inspector with the Punjab Police “so that nobody dares to do what Rana and others did to my father.”

A shocked Navpreet Singh could not utter a word. He had returned to Australia only 20 days back after getting engaged.

A number of Congress leaders attended the cremation. Among them were Amritsar West MLA Rajkumar Verka, former Deputy Speaker Prof Darbari Lal, District Rural Congress chief Harpartap Ajnala, Rajasansi MLA Sukh Sarkaria, former Amritsar Mayor Sunil Dutti and Amritsar Urban Congress president Jugal Kishore Sharma. Gurdaspur MP Partap Bajwa and Punjab Youth Congress chief Vikamjit Chaudhary visited the family after the cremation.