Chandigarh: Khalistan activist Amritpal Singh managed to evade the Punjab Police Sunday, a day after a massive operation was launched against him. Singh, a self-styled preacher and chief of Waris Punjab De, went into hiding after his cavalcade was accosted by the police at Shahkot in the Jalandhar rural area Saturday.
With multiple teams involved in the search operation, the police recovered a black Isuzu vehicle, in which Amritpal is said to have last been seen travelling, abandoned in village Saleman near Mehatpur Sunday. A kirpan, a .315 bore rifle, over 50 cartridges, and a walkie talkie set have been recovered from the abandoned vehicle.
SSP Jalandhar Rural Swarandeep Singh told ThePrint adding that a fresh case is being registered against Amritpal following the recovery of the car.
“The video that shows Amritpal being chased by the police in which his associate is making an announcement has been in all likelihood made from this vehicle itself,” he said.
DIG Jalandhar Range Swapan Sharma told ThePrint that the Mercedes in which Amritpal was originally travelling when his cavalcade was stopped has not been recovered. “He changed his route twice besides shifting from the Mercedes to the Isuzu,” said Sharma.
Sharma said while he was being chased by the police on a village link road, Amritpal’s car allegedly hit at least four motorcyclists. “But he did not stop. He was ahead of the other cars and managed to escape…He is still on the run along with three other persons, including his uncle (chacha ji Harjit Singh),” he said.
Sharma added that the police are also investigating possible links between ISI and Amritpal and also who was financing him.
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Kuldeep Chahal told ThePrint that the search operations were continuing without a break and they should be able to arrest Amritpal Singh soon. “Almost all his close associates who were with him yesterday have been arrested. There was no lapse in chasing him,” he added.
Amritpal was on his way from his village Jallu Khera in Amritsar to Bhadaur in Barnala to attend a religious function when his cavalcade was stopped at a naka at Shahkot Saturday afternoon. “His cavalcade immediately took a U-turn to avoid the police. The police chase began at Shahkot. His cavalcade – comprising a Mercedes in which he was travelling along with three persons, and two Endeavours – left the highway and entered a village link road. It was a single-lane road. This (the chase) continued for a good 15-16 km after which the two Endeavours were stopped in a busy market at Mehatpur and the occupants arrested,” said DIG Sharma.
Meanwhile, police held flag marches in all the districts of the state Sunday to instill a sense of security and maintain law and order. Internet services have been suspended for another day in the state to curtail the spread of fake news and rumours.
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Action against Amritpal aides
While seven persons were arrested from the spot, another 71 of Amritpal’s associates were arrested from other places Saturday in a coordinated statewide operation.
At least four of these persons, currently unidentified, were shifted in a special flight from Delhi to a jail in Dibrugarh in Assam.
“This is police-to-police cooperation,” Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma reportedly told news agency ANI about the move.
“Who are the persons shifted to Assam and why they have been shifted to Assam is highly confidential and cannot be shared at this stage,” said Sharma.
Satinder Singh, SSP, Rural Amritsar, told mediapersons Sunday that the seven persons arrested from Mehatpur are in the custody of the Amritsar police and have been named in the Ajnala violence case registered against Amritpal and his men on 24 February. “Apart from that main case, a fresh case has also been registered against Amritpal and these persons under the Arms Act on Saturday. We recovered six 12 bore guns, and 193 cartridges from these seven persons. They are all illegal, without any licences,” said Satinder Singh.
“The seven arrested are Ajay Pal Singh, Gurbir Singh, Harvinder Singh, Baljinder Singh, Gurlal Singh, Savreet and Amandeep Singh,” he said.
He added that two licenced weapons were recovered from Harvinder Singh but both these weapons have now been rendered illegal because Harvinder was carrying more than the allowed number of bullets.
‘Situation under control’
The protest outside the Singh Shahida Gurdwara in Mohali, led by supporters of the Quami Insaaf Morcha, continued for the second day today with the protesters demanding revocation of action against Amritpal Singh.
“Things are absolutely under control. There is no protest anywhere else in the Ropar range. The protest at Anandpur Sahib lasted only a few hours yesterday,” Gurpreet Bhullar, IG Ropar range, told ThePrint.
“In Ludhiana, we have taken preventive action against 21 persons of Boparai Kalam village as they were trying to block the road despite the imposition of Section 144 CrPC following which we have arrested them. There are no other protests in Ludhiana. The situation is completely under control,” said Kaustubh Sharma, IG, Ludhiana range, talking to ThePrint.
IG Patiala range Mukhvinder Singh Chhina told ThePrint that the police had complete domination in the area and there are no road blockages anywhere. “Flag marches are being held in every town to assure the people that peace, law and order will be maintained at any cost.”
Moga SSP J Elenchezian told ThePrint that six persons, including Basant Singh, a close aide of Amritpal, were arrested by the Moga police yesterday. “No further arrests have been made and there are no protests going on in the area,” he added.
The Gurugram police had, in coordination with the Punjab police, Saturday arrested Punjabi actor Daljeet Singh Kalsi for his alleged involvement in Khalistani activities. Kalsi was a close associate of actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu. Following Sidhu’s death, Kalsi was instrumental in Amritpal’s elevation as the head of Waris Punjab De, the outfit founded by Deep Sidhu.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
Source: The Print
