Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said by solving the cases of targeted killings and hate crimes, the Punjab Police (PP) has foiled a major bid by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to revive terrorism in Punjab.

Addressing a batch of new recruits of 18 deputy superintendents of police DSPs) and 494 sub-inspectors (SIs) at Punjab Police Academy at Phillaur, the CM lauded the force’s recent spate of successes in improving the state’s law and order.

He said with the state police being unshackled from political control by his government which had given a free hand to the Punjab Police, there was a marked decline in the number of sacrilege cases and heinous crimes, along with elimination of gangsters and various mafias in the state.

Congratulating the force for these achievements and in particular their success in solving the cases of targeted killings and hate crimes perpetrated in the state before his government took over, Amarinder said with this, the police had successfully foiled a major bid by the ISI and their handlers based in Pakistan to revive terrorism in Punjab.

He announced an annual grant of Rs. 2 Crores for advanced training of police personnel of all ranks, from constables to Punjab Police Service officers, in the best domestic and foreign training centers, in order to empower them to meet the challenges of modern policing.

Addressing a batch of new recruits of 18 deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) and 494 sub-inspectors (SIs) – the largest ever group of directly recruited officials in these ranks of the Punjab Police, the CM expressed great pleasure at seeing a large number of women (196 in all, including seven Deputy SPs) among the probationers.

Earlier, Captain Amarinder inspected the parade and took the salute from the march past. Probationary DSP RupinderdeepKaur was the All Round First, while Sarabjeet Kaur stood All Round First in probationary SI, whereas probationary SI Rimpledeep Kaur was the All Round First in Intelligence category.

Referring to the historic Phillaur Fort, where the Academy is located, the Chief Minister congratulated PPA for its role in preserving the historic monument and announced a grant of Rs. 3 Crore for the repair and restoration of the Museum, old classrooms and hostels.