Pro-Khalistani sympathiser and 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh's close aide Papalpreet Singh has been arrested from Punjab's Amritsar, DIG Jalandhar range informed. Papalpreet Singh was nabbed in a joint operation conducted by Punjab Police and its counter-intelligence unit, sources said.
With the arrest of Papalpreet Singh, several close aides of Amritpal Singh have been held ever since the Punjab Police launched its crackdown to nab 'Waris Punjab De' chief. However, Amritpal Singh is still out at large even after being spotted in different attires across several states in northern India.
A CCTV footage had emerged a few days ago which showed Papalpreet Singh in a "dera" in a village in Hoshiarpur even as police continued their search for them in the district.
The footage is said to be of March 29, a day after a team of the counter-intelligence wing of the Punjab Police chased an Innova vehicle from Phagwara after it suspected that fugitive Amritpal Singh and his aide could be travelling in it.
The "dera" (a place for religious congregation) whose footage has surfaced is located in village Tanauli, just two to three km away from Marnaian village in Hoshiarpur where the police had launched their massive search for the duo.
Sources said Papalpreet Singh was spotted in the CCTV footage of the dera of Wednesday morning. It is suspected that Papalpreet and Amritpal got separated in Hoshiarpur following the police chase of their vehicle.
Papalpreet Singh is considered one of Amritpal Singh's mentors who had been advising him on various issues.
Police on Friday had expanded their search for Amritpal Singh to "deras" and other possible hideouts of the fugitive preacher in Hoshiarpur district.
Police had even deployed a drone to trace the suspects.
The radical preacher has been on the run since a police crackdown on his outfit Waris Punjab De on March 18. He has, however, appeared in two purported videos and an audio clip released on social media in the past few days.
In the video, the Khalistan sympathiser asserted he was not a fugitive and would soon appear before the world.
(With inputs from PTI)
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