Amritpal Singh’s aide Varinder booked below Arms Act in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar

By PTI

KISHTWAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday booked Varinder Singh, suspected to be the bodyguard of the fugitive radical preacher Amritpal Singh, below the Arms Act in reference to a gun licence issued to him in Kishtwar district, officers mentioned.

The district administration additionally cancelled Varinder Singh’s licence, and mentioned it can probe how the previous military jawan, who was sacked in 2015, procured the licence in 2014 after which saved getting it renewed in several districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

Police mentioned Varinder Singh, also referred to as Fauji, was a part of a personal safety arrange for radical preacher Amritpal Singh, who’s on the run.

A video not too long ago confirmed Varinder Singh, the bodyguard of Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh, opening fireplace within the air.

After the clip appeared, the Punjab Police arrested him final week, slapped the National Security Act on him and lodged him in a jail in faraway Assam.

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Kishtwar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Khalil Poswal advised PTI on Thursday that there was additionally a necessity to analyze how Varinder Singh obtained the licence.

“Accordingly, we have lodged an FIR under number 52/2023 under section 3/25/30 Arms Act and provisions of IPC registered in police station Kishtwar,” he mentioned.

He additional mentioned that police has conveyed the small print of the case to Punjab Police and sought paperwork from them.

“We will seek the presence of that person. He (Varinder Singh) will be brought here to conduct an investigation and to find out how he reached here and how he got his license from here.”

Giving additional particulars, he mentioned that the gun license was issued to him in 2014 from Kishtwar Deputy Magistrate (DM) workplace.

He mentioned the CID wing of the Punjab Police not too long ago wrote to the DM Kishtwar that there was misuse of his gun license.

“The matter was activated and Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar cancelled gun license,” the SSP mentioned.

Poswal mentioned that police must verify below which circumstances the gun license was issued to him within the first place as his military unit was by no means posted right here in Kishtwar.

“He was a jawan of the 96 regiments and was terminated in 2015. After issuance, his gun licence was getting renewed. The licence has been validated till 2025 from Ramban, Reasi, Baramulla and Kathua. There is a need to investigate the case,” the SSP mentioned.

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As for verification by the Police earlier than granting a gun license to him, he mentioned that there was a letter from then commandant to DM.

“On that certificate, the gun licence was issued. There was certification or verification by Police in Kishtwar in this case,” the SSP mentioned.

Amritpal Singh, in the meantime, stays elusive because the police crackdown in opposition to him and members of his pro-Khalistan ‘Waris Punjab De’ outfit started on March 18, about three weeks after he and his supporters stormed into the Ajnala police station close to Amritsar to safe the discharge of an arrested man.

The preacher escaped the police internet in Jalandhar district on March 18, switching automobiles and altering appearances.

He and his associates have been booked below a number of prison instances associated to spreading disharmony amongst lessons, makes an attempt to homicide, assaults on police personnel and creating obstructions within the lawful discharge of responsibility by public servants.

Police mentioned Varinder Singh, also referred to as Fauji, was a part of a personal safety arrange for radical preacher Amritpal Singh, who’s on the run.googletag.cmd.push(operate() googletag.show(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); );