Punjab police on Sunday intensified its manhunt for radical preacher and Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh, while security forces conducted flag marches at many places and authorities ex-tended curbs on mobile internet and SMS services till Monday noon amid a high alert in the state.
Amritpal’s alleged advisor and fund provider Daljit Singh Kalsi and three others who were arrested on Saturday were flown to Assam from Punjab on a “special flight” and were being kept at the Dibrugarh Central Jail, the police said.
Senior officers of Punjab police asserted that the law and order situation is under control and warned of strict action against anyone spreading rumours, saying it was monitoring fake news and hate speeches coming from different countries, states and cities.
Though Amritpal Singh is still at large yet many of his close aides are in the nab of Punjab Police. Some are sent to Dibrugarh Assam and some have been taken on remand after producing them in Beas based district court.
On Sunday Morning, Jalandhar witnessed a massive force march on roads in lieu of maintaining peace around. Overall, there is nothing unusual or chaotic activity noticed by Amritpal supporters on ground, though on Social media many separatists foreign based handles posted in favour of Amritpal.
7 persons who were arrested in connection with ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal Singh brought to court in Beas, and remanded to police custody till March 23, says SP Amritsar Rural Jugraj Singh.
While talking to media on why Amritpal Singh is not caught during the operation, DIG Swapan Sharma states, “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 with the motive to divert us from the chase”. Adding further he says, “We’re registering FIRs in Amritsar rural area, we’ve apprehended 10 people. We are investigating how these vehicles were financed. Some phones have been recovered and their technical analysis is being done”. Swapan Sharma, DIG Jalandhar further added that while interception in Mehatpur, the one in front car took a leap during the chase. They have recovered the other two cars. They have recovered seven illegal weapons too. The accused had some Pakistan-ISI links.
Detailing further about the Amritpal operation SSP Satinder Singh Amritsar Rural stated that Yesterday 7 persons were arrested. Last night an FIR under Arms Act was 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. Out of 7 persons arrested, one accused Harwinder Singh was having a license but he was having 139 bullets of 312 bore, which is more than the prescribed limit. On the behest of Amritpal, one Gurpesh gave him these bullets. All these have been recovered. An illegal 315 bore will also be recovered. The accused were arrested from near Mehatpur yesterday.
The arrested accused have been identified as Ajay Pal, Gurveer Singh, Baljinder Singh, Harwinder Singh, Gurlal Singh, Amandeep & Savrit Singh. Amritpal escaped from the spot and our efforts are underway to nab him. Narrating the hot chase in Jalandhar, during which the chief of ‘Waris Punjab De’, now declared fugitive Amritpal Singh, escaped, Jalandhar DIG Swapan Sharma on Sunday said that two vehicles of the pro-Khalistan leader’s convoy have been seized, adding that he crashed into motorbikes to divert the police. “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 several motorbike riders, some were with the motive to divert us from the chase,” Deputy Inspector General Swapan Sharma said. The Punjab Police were chasing Amritpal Singh, who has been declared a fugitive by Punjab Police, to nab him and his aides.
The senior police officer said, “while interception in Mehatpur, a crowded market, the vehicle in front, somehow managed to flee. But we have recovered the other two cars of his convoy.” “We have recovered seven illegal weapons too,” he added. DIG Sharma also said that Singh changed his routes two-three times. “He was earlier at Harike, then he entered Doaba region from another flyover,” he said, adding that Singh was first time seen at the Shahkot area, where he was intercepted. “But he took a U-turn from there too,” he further said. Earlier in the day, the suspension of mobile internet and SMS services, in the territorial jurisdiction of Punjab, was extended till Monday noon. Punjab Police on Saturday launched an operation against Amritpal Singh and his aides. Police later, while stating that 78 persons were arrested in the operation and several were detained for questioning, said that the Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh was still on the run and a massive manhunt is launched to nab him..