New Delhi: Radical preacher Amritpal Singh was arrested in Punjab’s Moga district on Sunday after police personnel surrounded him, leaving him with no probability to flee, a senior police official mentioned. Briefing the media after the pro-Khalistani chief’s arrest, who was on the run for greater than a month, Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Punjab, Sukhchain Singh Gill, mentioned Amritpal was arrested at round 6:45 am from village Rode and has now been taken to Dibrugarh in Assam.
“National Security Act (NSA) warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and these have been executed today morning. Further law will take its own course,” Sukhchain Singh Gill advised the information convention.
He added {that a} joint operation was performed by the Amritsar Police and the intelligence wing of the Punjab Police.Â
“He was located in village Rode based on operational inputs by Punjab Police. He was surrounded from all sides, the village was surrounded by Punjab police,” Gill mentioned.
The police personnel didn’t enter the gurudwara wherein Amritpal was current to keep up its sanctity.
“To maintain sanctity, the police did not enter the gurdwara and since he knew that he had no way to escape now, he was surrounded by Punjab Police. The village was surrounded by Punjab Police from all sides,” he mentioned.
Earlier within the day, a video that surfaced on social media confirmed Amritpal Singh purportedly addressing a gathering at a gurdwara in Rode village in Moga. The video clip additionally confirmed him saying that he was ‘surrendering’.
“It is the birthplace of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. This is the place where my ‘dastar bandi’ (turban tying) ceremony was held. We are standing at life’s critical juncture. During the past one month, whatever took place, you have seen that all,” he may very well be heard saying within the video.
A month again, ‘excesses’ had been unleashed by the federal government in opposition to Sikhs,” he mentioned.
“Had it been only the question of (my) arrest, then perhaps there were many ways of arrest and with which, I would have cooperated,” Singh mentioned.
#WATCH | Earlier visuals of Waris Punjab De’s #AmritpalSingh at Gurudwara in Moga, Punjab.
He was arrested by Punjab Police from Moga this morning and is prone to be shifted to Dibrugarh, Assam. pic.twitter.com/2HMxTr50s7
— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023
A number of footage of the novel preacher whereas being taken into custody additionally surfaced on social media wherein he may very well be seen carrying a standard white gown.
The newest image of #AmritpalSingh in Punjab Police custody shared with ANI by Official sources pic.twitter.com/z7VB91Na0D
— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023
Crackdown in opposition to Amritpal Singh started final month
A large crackdown was launched in opposition to Amritpal Singh on March 18 after the Ajnala police station was stormed by him and his supporters to safe the discharge of an arrested affiliate.
In February, Amritpal and his supporters, a few of them brandishing swords and weapons, broke via barricades and barged into the Ajnala Police Station on the outskirts of Amritsar metropolis, and clashed with police for the discharge of one among his aides.
He had earlier escaped the police dragnet twice — first on March 18 in Jalandhar district by switching automobiles after which once more on March 28 in Hoshiarpur when he returned to Punjab alongside along with his key affiliate Papalpreet Singh.Â
Papalpreet, who is alleged to be Amritpal’s mentor and who has allegedly been in touch with Pakistan’s ISI, has already been arrested.
Nine of Amritpal’s aides — Daljit Singh Kalsi, Papalpreet Singh, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, Varinder Singh Johal, Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, Harjit Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Basant Singh and Gurinderpal Singh Aujla — have additionally been lodged in Dibrugarh jail in Assam and charged below the stringent NSA.
