Amritpal Singh hunt continues: 34 more Khalistani supporters held, says Punjab Police

Police on Sunday conducted flag marches and searches across Punjab in their manhunt for radical preacher Amritpal Singh, arresting 34 more supporters and shifting four men in custody to a jail in far-off Assam.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has, however, asked the state government to respond on Tuesday to a habeas corpus petition, that claiming that the preacher is already in illegal police custody and should be released.

Justice N S Shekhawat held the hearing at his home-office as the courts were closed.

"Punjab Police always work keeping law & order in view. Further actions regarding the case will also be done under the law, everyone has their legal rights and they can avail of legal remedies. Amritpal Singh is wanted in this case and he has not been arrested yet," IG Punjab Police, Sukhchain Singh Gill said.

Till now, 10 people have been arrested, 7 illegal weapons and more than 300 bullets seized. Three cars used by them have been recovered. Cordon & search operation underway, said Jalandhar DIG Swapan Sharma on operation to nab Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh.

Bhatinda: At least 16 persons (pro-Khalistan supporters) who were raising slogans in the city last night have been arrested and sent to judicial custody, said DSP Talwandi, Butta S Gill.

Police conduct flag marches in Gurdaspur and Ludhiana as an operation to nab Khalistani sympathiser Amritpal Singh continues. The state government has extended the suspension of mobile internet services till March 20.

Seven persons, who were arrested in connection with 'Waris Punjab De' chief and Khalistan supporter Amritpal Singh, have been brought to a court in Punjab's Beas.

"Yesterday 7 persons were arrested. Last night an FIR under Arms Act has been registered against them and Amritpal Singh is the main accused in the FIR. Six 12-bore weapons have been recovered from them and all weapons are illegal," SSP Rural Amritsar, Satinder Singh said.

"We were directed to nab him (Amritpal Singh), while chasing he ended up on a one-lane link road ahead of us. While outrunning us he crashed into 5-6 motorbike riders, some were with the motive to divert us from the chase," Jalandhar DIG Swapan Sharma said.

"While interception in Mehatpur, the one in front car took a leap during the chase. We have recovered the other two cars. We have recovered seven illegal weapons too. They had some Pakistan-ISI links," said DIG on Amritpal's arrest.

"We're registering FIRs in Amritsar rural area, we've apprehended 10 people. We are investigating how were these vehicles financed. Some phones have been recovered their technical analysis is being done," DIG Swapan Sharma said.

Police have said that Khalistani supporter Amritpal Singh has connections with Pakistani intelligence agencies ISI. In another development, 4 associates of Amritpal Singh, who have been arrested, are being shifted to Assam.

What is happening today in Punjab is because of CM Bhagwant Mann and Aam Aadmi Party. A local-level gangster who radicalized the youth of Punjab is getting national attention, said BJP leader Sunil Jakhar as Punjab Police attempt to arrest Khalistani supporter Amritpal Singh.

"G20 represents a big portion of the world and in front of them, this operation is being conducted. The exposure that big terrorist organizations couldn’t get is being given to separatists in Punjab due to the weakness of Bhagwant Mann," Sunil Jakhar said.

"If Punjab is getting defamed, then it will affect the whole country. The operation that could have been carried out without any force and show-off is now today being done in front of the whole country," Jakhar added.

Four aides of absconding Sikh radical preacher Amritpal Singh have been brought to Assam's Dibrugarh district on Sunday, according to police sources. A top police source said, "Four detained associates of Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh were recently flown to Dibrugarh by a Special Air Force aircraft. They will probably be kept in the Dibrugarh Central Jail. "They are being accompanied by a 27-member Punjab Police team, including the IG Jail," the source added.

He was chased by police for about 20-25 kms but he managed to escape. We have recovered a number of weapons and 2 cars also seized. Search underway and we will arrest him soon. Law and order will be maintained, said Jalandhar CP KS Chahal on 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh.

To prevent any untoward incident in case of the arrest of absconding Sikh radical preacher Amritpal Singh, head of 'Waris Punjab De', who has been declared a 'fugitive', the police along with CRPF personnel on Sunday conducted flag marches across Punjab. Punjab Police are planning to book Amritpal Singh under the provisions of the National Security Act, sources privy to the development told media. In the interest of public safety, the government extended the suspension of SMS and mobile Internet services, except the voice call, till Monday noon. Amritsar Deputy Commissioner of Police Parminder Singh Bhandal told the media that the police have set up 100 checkpoints in Amritsar and city outskirts to physically check vehicles. CRPF jawans were accompanying the policemen at checkpoints.

When asked about action against Amritpal Singh, Punjab Minister Balbir Singh said, "Our CM has restored the rule of law. Law will take its course against violators. There is no discrimination. It is not as if people died of spurious liquor and nobody is responsible or there was sacrilege & nobody is responsible. This is called rule of law."

Massive search operation continued on the second day on Sunday to arrest Sikh radical Amritpal Singh, head of 'Waris Punjab De', who has been declared a 'fugitive', a senior police official said. Jalandhar Police Commissioner Kuldeep Singh Chahal on Saturday night told the media that Amritpal Singh was declared a 'fugitive'. The police search operations are now mainly focused in Jalandhar district from where he managed to give the police a slip when it tried to intercept his vehicle to arrest him. Amritpal's father Tarsem Singh told the media the police should have arrested him before he left the house. "We don't have any information about his whereabouts. They carried out a search at our residence for 3-4 hours but did not find anything illegal."

The police action came almost over three weeks after Amritpal's supporters clashed with uniformed personnel at the Ajnala police station on the outskirts of Amritsar last month, demanding the release of one of Amritpal's close aides, Lovepreet Toofan. 

The official spokesperson of Punjab Police said, "On Saturday, several activities of WPD were intercepted by the Police at the Shahkot-Malsian Road in Jalandhar district and seven persons were arrested on the spot. Several others including Amritpal Singh are on the run and a massive manhunt has been launched to nab them." "During the statewide operation, nine weapons, including one .315 bore rifle, seven rifles of 12 bore, one revolver and 373 live cartridges of different calibres have been recovered so far," said an officer.