BSF Constable Dies in Custody; X Seeks Restrain on Panjab Police

March

2026

A Border Security Force (BSF) constable Jaswinder Singh who was picked up from his Amritsar home by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on 3 Mar, has died in custody. The police said his health deteriorated during questioning on 20 Mar. Maqboolpura, Amritsar police station Station House Officer Jagjit Singh said that the NCB informed them that the constable had been brought in for questioning in connection with a case under investigation. But the circumstances of his death are yet to be officially established. Jaswinder’s family has refused to accept the body and has been protesting, alleging that he was tortured and harassed during the 17-day custody. An NCB spokesperson said Jaswinder was taken into custody after an investigation into a September 2024 case revealed he was in touch with Pakistan-based smugglers and was actively involved in smuggling contraband in the border districts of Panjab and Jammu and Kashmir. His post-mortem report is awaited. The Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC), has taken a suo-motu cognizance of the matter. The Commission has sought detailed reports from NCB, the District Magistrate, and the Commissioner of Police, Amritsar. Meanwhile, the rising influx of Glock-style pistols from Pakistan’s Khyber Pass region has become a fresh challenge for Panjab police with gangsters moving away from desi katas (country-made pistols) sourced from Madhya Pradesh. Of the 2K-plus illegal pistols seized in the past three years, over 800 have been traced to Pakistan. 500 pistols have been seized since January 2025. Concurrently, a customs official arrested a Ludhiana resident in connection with seizure of 1.08 kg of cocaine worth USD 3.18M concealed inside a parcel at the International Courier Terminal in Mumbai. The parcel, which arrived from Côte d'Ivoire in West Africa, was declared to contain acrylic wool yarn for personal use. The NCB Mumbai zonal office arrested Jaspreet Singh on charges of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act. Additionally, social media platform X Corp moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking a formal restraint on the Panjab police from taking ‘coercive action’ over the removal of content that supposedly ‘glorifies crime’. X argues the content is legitimate journalism. Panjab police has also blocked 643 social media handles for glorifying weapons and crime (earlier coverage).