Amritpal Singh, the chief of the pro-Khalistan group ‘Waris Punjab De’, has been released from Dibrugarh jail. He had been detained under the National Security Act (NSA) since April of the previous year. Singh is set to take oath as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Khadoor Sahib constituency in Delhi on July 5th, following his success in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
Much of Singh’s early life remains enigmatic. He resided in Punjab’s Amritsar district before relocating to Dubai at the age of 19 to work in his family’s transport business. Singh returned to India in September last year. That month, he was appointed as the head of Waris Punjab De, an organization founded by Deep Sidhu, an Indian actor and activist who passed away in a road accident in February 2022.
Under Singh’s leadership, Waris Punjab De became instrumental in mobilizing farmers against the agricultural reforms introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. Since his return, Singh has been actively leading marches advocating for the protection of Sikh rights, with Sikhs making up 1.7 percent of India’s population.
The chain of events leading to Singh’s arrest began in February when hundreds of his supporters stormed a police station in Punjab, armed with swords and guns, demanding the release of a jailed aide.
On March 18, Punjab police set up roadblocks and deployed thousands of personnel in an attempt to apprehend him for his role in the incident. However, Singh managed to evade capture in a dramatic car chase, parts of which were livestreamed by his associates.
The Indian authorities then launched a month-long manhunt, deploying thousands of paramilitary soldiers and suspending mobile internet services in certain areas of Punjab. During the search, police reported arresting 154 of Singh’s supporters and seizing 10 guns and ammunition.
Singh was eventually apprehended in Rode village in the Moga district of Punjab at the village gurdwara, a Sikh place of worship. He was detained under the National Security Act, which permits the detention of individuals deemed a threat to national security without charge for up to a year.
A senior Punjab police official mentioned that Singh would be transferred to Dibrugarh in Assam, where some of his associates were already incarcerated.
Amritpal Singh is expected to take oath as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Khadoor Sahib constituency in Delhi on July 5th.
