Punjab: Khalistani chief Amritpal Singh on the run following crackdown by Punjab Police

After studies that self-proclaimed radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh was detained earlier on Saturday, Punjab Police have mentioned that he’s nonetheless on the run. The police confirmed a large crackdown on Waris Punjab De led by Khalistani chief Amritpal Singh.

The police have mentioned that to this point 78 individuals have been arrested and plenty of others have been detained through the operation. “Several others including Amritpal Singh are on the run & a massive manhunt has been launched to nab them,” Punjab Police mentioned in a press launch.

The official spokesperson of Punjab Police mentioned that on Saturday afternoon, a number of actions of Waris Punjab De had been intercepted by the Police on the Shahkot-Malsian Road in Jalandhar district and 7 individuals had been arrested on the spot. Several others together with Amritpal Singh are on the run and a large manhunt has been launched to nab them.

Punjab Police launched a large state-wide Cordon And Search Operations within the state towards components of Waris Punjab De. 78 individuals arrested to this point, whereas, a number of others detained. Several others together with Amritpal Singh are on the run & a large manhunt has been launched to… https://t.co/CX9M85F8Rz pic.twitter.com/mnZacHk2Qp

— ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2023

The police knowledgeable that 9 weapons, together with one .315 bore rifle, seven rifles of 12 bore, one revolver and 373 dwell cartridges of various calibers have been recovered to this point through the state-wide operation. The Spokesperson knowledgeable that WPD components are concerned in 4 felony instances referring to spreading disharmony amongst lessons, try to homicide, assault on police individuals and creating obstructions within the lawful discharge of duties of public servants.

The police additionally appealed to the residents to not pay heed to faux information and rumours. “Situation in the state is completely stable. All persons indulging in mischievous activities for disturbing peace and harmony in the state shall be dealt with strictly,” the press launch added.

Press Release by Punjab Police

Earlier it was reported that Amritpal Singh was arrested after a high-intensity chase whereas his associates had been nabbed earlier. He was stepping into a convoy of three automobiles. During this time, the police caught two automobiles close to Mehtabpur in Shahkot, however Amritpal Singh managed to flee within the third car.

Several media studies had mentioned that he was detained after a chase at Nakodar and is being taken to Jalandhar. But now it has been confirmed that he’s nonetheless on the run, whereas the police groups are looking for him and different members of his organisation.

The transfer got here after the Punjab police launched a crackdown on the separatist chief and his group.

#BREAKING | Amritpal Singh detained by Punjab police, declare sources; heavy deployment seen in Jalandhar. #AmritpalSingh #Punjab #PunjabPolice

Tune in right here – https://t.co/ge3J2OW61a pic.twitter.com/IviWlCIPyI

— Republic (@republic) March 18, 2023

A heavy police power of round 50 automobiles was chasing Amritpal Singh’s convoy since morning. When the convoy reached Mehtabpur, the police surrounded it and detained six of his associates in two automobiles. The police additionally recovered an enormous cache of weapons from Amritpal Singh’s accomplices. However, he escaped from his Mercedes automobile.

Earlier, supporters of the Waris Punjab De chief shared unverified movies of police pursuing his convoy in Moga district, with the car finally dashing to Shahkot close to Jalandhar. Sources point out that whereas en path to Bathinda, the police tried to intercept Amritpal Singh, who’s believed to be a sympathizer of Khalistan, close to Mehtabpur village in Jalandhar. 

“Police is chasing Amritpal Singh” a video shared by his affiliate from his automobile #AmritpaSingh pic.twitter.com/eGPYGMEOg0

— Gagandeep Singh (@Gagan4344) March 18, 2023

In the in the meantime, the Punjab authorities suspended cellular web and SMS providers within the state after the event. In an order issued yesterday, all cellular web providers, SMS providers (besides banking and cellular recharge), and dongle providers offered on cellular networks, besides voice calls, have been suspended in Punjab until Sunday, within the wake of a police operation towards Amritpal Singh and his aides.

The order issued by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Punjab govt mentioned that as per the state DGP, sure sections of the society are more likely to threaten public order by incitement to violence and resort to vast unfold violence with an intention to stoke and trigger communal rigidity. The DGP mentioned that such sections might use social media and messaging platforms like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Telegram and many others and likewise SMS providers to unfold inflammatory materials and false rumours, to impress mobilization or mobs of agitators and demonstrators, mobilize their very own manpower and assets To their anti-national actions.

#Chandigarh: Punjab Govt has suspended cellular web providers, all SMS providers (besides banking & cellular recharge) and all dongle providers offered on cellular networks, besides the voice name, within the territorial jurisdiction of State. pic.twitter.com/x1EdF9eZaX

— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) March 18, 2023

“There is a clear potential of threat to public safety, disruption of public utilities, damage to public assets and amenities and disturbance of public law and order in the state of Punjab on account of misuse of mobile internet services, SMS services and other dongle services,” the order acknowledged quoting the DGP.

Therefore, the ban on cellular web and SMS has been imposed from 12 midday in the present day to 12 midday on 19 March.

Amritpal Singh has a kidnapping case registered towards him on the Ajnala police station in Amritsar. It is unclear whether or not any additional instances had been filed towards him after his supporters forcefully entered the police station on February 24, following the arrest of one in every of his associates. During the conflict, the supporters protested and clashed with the police. The police haven’t disclosed any info concerning further fees filed towards Singh associated to the incident.

Who is Amritpal Singh?

Amritpal is a 30-year-old pro-Khalistan chief who leads a corporation named Waris Punjab De. Within six months of his arrival to India and taking up the group began by late actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu, he has reached the purpose the place he can mobilize hundreds of supporters and direct them to barge right into a police station to get his aide launched.

He was born in Jallupur Khera, Amritsar, in 1994. In 2012, he moved to Dubai to hitch his household’s transport enterprise. Amritpal’s LinkedIn web page reveals he was the operations supervisor at Sandhu Cargo, and his mail ID was [email protected] Hel did his Bachelor of Engineering (BE) in Mechanical Engineering from Lord Krishna Polytechnic College, Kapurthala, Punjab, per his LinkedIn web page. OpIndia checked and confirmed the existence of the LinkedIn web page that may be accessed from right here.

Amritpal Singh remained energetic on social media all through his time in Dubai and propagated his ideology extensively by way of his posts. He used a selected ID, sandhuamrit10, on Twitter to unfold the propaganda. That Twitter account has now been deleted. After the dying of Deep Sidhu, in a social media publish, Amritpal Singh was declared inheritor of Waris Punjab De. However, the household of Deep Sidhu denied any connection to Singh.

In May final 12 months, Deep Sidhu’s relative got here out because the chief of “real” Waris Punjab De, but it surely didn’t achieve the traction Amritpal Singh managed to get. Amritpal Singh got here to India in September 2022. He went to Georgia earlier than coming to India, and intelligence businesses hinted at a attainable connection to ISI of their studies.

Note: This report has been up to date with the most recent developments