New Delhi: Still unable to catch radical preacher Amritpal Singh, the Punjab Police on Tuesday released several photos of the man — with and without beard and turban – seeking people’s help in flushing him out from wherever he is hiding.
Punjab Inspector General of Police Sukhchain Singh Gill said Tuesday: “There are several pictures of Amritpal Singh in different attires. We are releasing all of these pictures. I request you to display them so that people can help us to arrest him in this case.”
Singh has been on the run since a failed attempt by the police to catch him at a naka in Shahkot, Jalandhar on Saturday. Travelling in a Mercedes, Singh made a U-turn as soon as he saw the cops and fled through village roads. Some of his associates, travelling as part of his entourage that day, were later arrested.
The police said Tuesday that Amritpal Singh changed his attire and probably his complete look to give cops the slip.
Talking to the media, Sukhchain Singh Gill said Amritpal, along with three of his associates, was last seen in a gurudwara in village Nangal Ambian in Shahkot on Saturday. Gill said Singh changed his clothes and wore a shirt and trouser and the four got on two motorcycles and sped away.
Singh initially switched from the Mercedes to a Brezza — which took him to the gurudwara — from where he fled on a motorcycle, the police said. Unverified videos of Amritpal shifting from the Brezza to the motorcycles have since gone viral.
Gill said the National Security Act (NSA) was invoked against Amritpal on Saturday and arrest warrants were issued by the court on 20 March.
After he drove away from the Shahkot naka Saturday, Singh and three associates called for help, Gill said. “His supporters brought a Brezza in which they travelled to the gurdwara at Nangal Ambian in Shahkot. From here they escaped on bikes,” the officer added.
Both the Mercedes and the Brezza were recovered and the four — who helped Amritpal procure the second car — have been arrested.
A .315 bore rifle was also recovered from the vehicle. A fresh case has been registered against them and Amritpal at Shahkot, Gill said. The four arrested include Manpreet Singh Manna, Gurdeep Singh Deepa, Harpreet Singh Happy and Gurbhej Singh Teja.
Gill added that a fresh case has also been registered at the Mehatpur police station against Amritpal’s uncle Harjit Singh and their driver Harpreet Singh, for allegedly seeking shelter at gunpoint. The case has been registered on the complaint of sarpanch Manpreet Singh of village Uddowal in Mehatpur, Jalandhar.
Harjit Singh and driver Harpreet Singh surrendered before the police Monday. Harjit Singh was immediately shifted to a jail in Dibrugarh in Assam under the National Security Act. Gill said that police teams have also arrested and detained Kulwant Singh Raoke of village Raoke in Moga and Gurinderpal Singh alias Gur Aujla of Kapurthala under the National Security Act.
A total of 154 people have been arrested following Saturday’s crackdown, Gill added.
Meanwhile, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday resumed hearing of the habeas corpus petition filed by the “Waris Punjab De” — of which Singh is the leader.
Justice N.S. Shekhawat pulled up the Punjab government for failing to arrest Amritpal, despite its claims that there were hundreds of cops on the ground.
“Your claims seem dubious,” the judge said, questioning Punjab Advocate General Vinod Ghai about the operation. “You have arrested more than hundred people and you had thousands of policemen on the ground and the only person you could not arrest was him?” the judge asked.
The Punjab police has filed two affidavits in the case, reiterating that Amritpal was indeed on the run and had not been arrested illegally by the police. “He (Amritpal) has been professing a radical ideology and raised the demand for the secession of Punjab from India. He has been actively abetting/instigating/provoking/ motivating/conspiring to wage war against the State for a separate nation by the name ‘Khalistan’. He has been acting in a manner prejudicial to the security of the State and maintenance of public order,” the affidavit stated.
The Punjab Police also informed the court that detention orders under the National Security Act against Amritpal were sought from the district magistrate on 17 March, and were granted on 18 March.
The Punjab Police added in its affidavit that non-bailable warrants were issued by the court against Amritpal on 20 March. The court has sought a status report from the Punjab government and listed the matter for 28 March.
Meanwhile, Gill also informed that the protest at Mohali over Amritpal had been lifted and that the situation in the state was peaceful. He said that 37 people had been taken into preventive custody.
Internet services in several districts of the state were resumed Tuesday, barring some of the more sensitive districts where the blackout will continue till tomorrow.
Also read: Radical preacher Amritpal in hiding, Punjab cops say his car ‘hit motorcyclists but didn’t stop’