Ajit Karn
As part of the ongoing manhunt for fugitive pro-Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh, teams from the Delhi Police and Punjab Police launched a search operation in Delhi and its border on Friday in anticipation of his possible entry into the nation’s capital.
Friday, Delhi Police sources reported that the leader of the pro-Khalistani group, Waris Punjab De, is believed to have arrived in Delhi.
According to sources, the Delhi Police and Punjab Police were conducting a search operation in Delhi and its borders after receiving intelligence that Khalistan sympathizer Amritpal had been spotted at Delhi’s ISBT bus terminal.
According to intelligence inputs, he may be disguising himself as a sadhu. Amritpal Singh is accompanied by Papalpreet Singh, according to sources.
The Punjab Police questioned Amritpal’s ability to cross the Delhi frontier in a vehicle other than a bus. In response to the tip, the Delhi Police went on high alert and are attempting to monitor Amritpal’s movements.
As a precaution, alerts have been issued in the Uttarakhand districts of Dehradun, Haridwar, and Udham Singh Nagar in the event that Amritpal Singh enters the state.
“A precautionary alert has been issued in the districts of Dehradun, Haridwar, and Udham Singh Nagar due to the possibility of pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh entering the state,” Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar told media.
The authorities, according to him, are conducting intensive checks at the borders of all three districts as well as other regions. Significantly, terrorism has affected all three State districts in the 1990s, he added.
On Friday morning, the Punjab Police released 44 individuals who had been detained as part of an ongoing operation against those attempting to disrupt law and order in the state.
Thursday, Punjab’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) Headquarters, Sukhchain Singh Gill, announced that 207 individuals have been apprehended for disturbing peace and harmony in the state.
Thursday, IGP Gill revealed that the Waris Punjab De leader’s last known location was in Haryana.
Thursday, the IGP addressed a press conference in Chandigarh, stating, “We are still avidly searching for
Amritpal Singh and I have learned that the vehicle’s last known location was in Haryana. We have taken into custody a woman named Baljeet Kaur. Amritpal stayed at this woman’s home in Kurukshetra (Haryana), and the Waris Punjab De chief and his closest aide had been in contact with her for the previous two and a half years. The IGP stated that Baljeet Kaur divulged during questioning that Amritpal and his key aide, Papalpreet Singh, had stayed the night of March 19 at her residence.
“Baljeet Kaur was apprehended with the assistance of the Haryana Police. She revealed during questioning that on March 19, both Papalpreet Singh and Amritpal had stayed at her residence. She stated that she had known Papalpreet for several years and that he had stayed at her home on multiple occasions, the IGP said.
“After spending the night at her home, they departed the following day. We are analyzing the CCTV footage and hope to have Amritpal arrested shortly,” he added.
Amritpal and his assistant abandoned their motorcycle near a gurdwara in Sehowal village, Jalandhar, and attempted to obtain a boat to traverse a river, according to the IGP of Punjab.
“Our team continues to pursue him. We are analyzing CCTV footage from multiple locations in an effort to determine his whereabouts. They exchanged their two-wheeler at a gurdwara in the village of Sehowal and attempted to acquire a boat in order to traverse the river. However, they were unable to obtain one and ultimately used a footbridge to traverse the river,” the IGP said.
“After exploring in another two-wheeled vehicle, they rented an auto-rickshaw. Following this, they arrived at Kurukshetra. Gurpej (one of the four men arrested for allegedly aiding Amritpal’s escape), who is presently in our custody, informed us that he may seek refuge with a woman other than Baljeet Kaur,” the IGP added.
The Punjab Police launched an operation against Amritpal and his associates on March 18. Three weeks had passed since Amritpal’s supporters clashed with uniformed personnel at the Ajnala police station on the periphery of Amritsar on February 23, demanding the release of one of his closest aides, Lovepreet Toofan.
Also read this:Following an intelligence report of a probable jailbreak, Amritpal Singh’s associates fled Punjab
Thousands of his supporters stormed the Ajnala police station, brandishing swords and threatening dire consequences if the police did not release Lovepreet Toofan, who was arrested for allegedly assaulting and kidnapping a man.
