Ashish Ranjan
In a new development related to the ongoing disturbances in Amritsar, the Punjab Police announced on Thursday that Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh’s close associate Lovepreet Toofan singh would be released on Friday.
After assuring the demonstrators of Lovepreet Toofan’s release, the police evicted them from the Ajnala police station.The demonstrators were reportedly directed to a nearby gurudwara.In the meantime, demonstrators stated that they would plan the next phase of their protest if Toofan Singh is not released on the specified date.The Punjab Police announced that it would establish a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the FIR filed in the case.
In a statement, Satinder Singh, SSP of Amritsar Dehat, said that Toofan Singh’s supporters have provided proof of his absence from the violence-affected area on February 15, and that he will be released by the court tomorrow on that basis.
Amritpal Singh and his supporters have stated that they will cease their protest once Toofan Singh is released from jail.
Thursday protests and violence outside the Ajnala police station in Amritsar reportedly injured 21 of his supporters.He also claimed that the Punjab Police incited violence in the case.
WHAT TOOK PLACE IN AMRITSAR
In protest against the detention of one of Amritpal Singh’s associates, his supporters clashed with police and stormed a police complex in the Amritsar district of Punjab on Thursday.Singh and his supporters were arrested for allegedly capturing a man.Hundreds of Singh’s supporters, armed with swords and firearms, had gathered at the Ajnala police station in Amritsar.
Earlier, prior to reaching Ajnala, they conducted a protest in the middle of the road at the Dhilwan toll plaza in the district of Kapurthala when police prevented them from marching towards Amritsar.However, the police eventually permitted them to continue marching towards the Ajnala police station.
THE CASE
Amritpal Singh, a self-proclaimed cleric, and his followers were charged with kidnapping and assaulting Varinder Singh, a resident of Chamkaur Sahib in the district of Rupnagar.According to recent reports, Amritpal Singh issued a threat to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, stating that he would suffer the same fate as former prime minister Indira Gandhi.
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Singh is the leader of the ‘Waris Punjab De’ organisation, which was founded by the late actor and activist Deep Sidhu, who was killed in a road accident in February of last year.
