Another aide of fugitive Amritpal held, Punjab cops seek help from central agencies

Amritpal Singh has been on the run since a police crackdown on his outfit Waris Punjab De on March 18 (Photo: India Today/File)

By Manjeet Sehgal: Punjab Police have arrested another aide of fugitive Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh, who has been on the run for more than 15 days now, sources told India Today. The suspect was arrested on charges of providing a mobile phone to Amritpal, which was used to record video clips at religious places.

The IP addresses using which the videos and audio clips were shared have been traced to many foreign countries, including the UK, Canada, the US and Dubai, sources said.

Amritpal Singh on Thursday released an audio clip in which he debunked speculation that he was negotiating his surrender and nudged the Akal Takht, the highest temporal body of Sikhs, again to summon a “sarbat khalsa” congregation. Amritpal Singh requested the jathedar of the Akal Takht to call Sarbat Khalsa to discuss issues to save Punjab on Baisakhi (April 13).

Amritpal Singh had shared two video clips on March 29 and 30 asking the Akal Takht chief to hold a Sarbat Khalsa.

Police suspect that the mobile phone seized from the arrested person might have been used to make these video clips which were recorded at a religious place and then were sent to Amritpal's foreign handlers, who later shared them on social media. The Cyber cell of Punjab police has sought help from central agencies to arrest people who shared Amritpal's videos on social media.

"I have urged the jathedar to call the Sarbat Khalsa. Call the Sarbat Khalsa, and prove that you are the jathedar," Amritpal Singh said in an unverified audio clip that surfaced lately on social media.

POLICE INTENSIFY SEARCH OPS FOR AMRITPAL SINGH

Meanwhile, Punjab Police expanded their search for Amritpal Singh on Friday to 'deras' and other possible hideouts of the fugitive preacher in Hoshiarpur district, where some suspects had abandoned their car following a chase three days ago.

Punjab Police conducted raids at various deras located in and around three districts, including Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Amritsar after it was found that Amritpal and his aides had stayed at three different deras during the past week.

Police investigations have revealed that Amritpal and Papalpreet stayed at three different deras located near Phagwara town besides the deras of Nadlon and Pandori Bibi villages.

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Investigations have revealed that Amritpal Singh came to the Phagwara dera on March 27, which is linked to Hazoor Sahib Gurdwara of Nanded in Maharashtra.

Sources told India Today that Amritpal Singh, his aide Papalpreet Singh and the driver of his getaway car, Joga Singh, separated at Marnaiyan village. While Joga Singh was arrested from Sagnewal, Ludhiana on Friday, CCTV footage of a dera located near Pandori Bibi village revealed that Papalpreet Singh had stayed there on March 29.

AMRITPAL SINGH REMAINS ON THE RUN

Amritpal Singh, meanwhile, remains elusive since the police crackdown against him and members of his pro-Khalistan 'Waris Punjab De' outfit began on March 18, about three weeks after he and his supporters stormed into the Ajnala police station near Amritsar to secure the release of an arrested man.

The preacher escaped the police net in Jalandhar district on March 18, switching vehicles and changing appearances.

The hunt to nab Amritpal Singh was launched in Hoshiarpur district after police chased an Innova SUV from Phagwara, which some sources said may have carried Amritpal Singh and his aides.

He and his associates have been booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants.

(With PTI inputs)

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