Crackdown on Amritpal Singh: Uttarakhand police keep strict vigil against fugitive Khalistani leader

Amritpal Singh’s ‘Waris Punjab De’ is being carried out by the Punjab Police; the police in the nearby state of Uttarakhand are also on full alert.

Uttarakhand Police Headquarters told reporters that the state police is also on full alert mode regarding absconding pro-Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh from Punjab. According to the police headquarters, a strict vigil is being kept by the police and intelligence departments in Udham Singh Nagar district of the state.

The police headquarters told that close monitoring is being done to see if anyone is supporting Khalistan supporter Amritpal Singh or is putting any posts on social media in support of him.

Amid the crackdown, which started on Saturday, the suspension of internet, SMS, and dongle services was also extended till Tuesday noon.

Earlier on Monday, Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sukhchain Singh Gill said in a press conference, that there is huge suspicion of an ISI angle and foreign funding in the case.

He also said that a total of 114 people have been arrested so far since the crackdown began.

Earlier, the Punjab Police informed that the uncle and driver of Amritpal Singh had surrendered to the police, and his uncle is en route to Dibrugarh. Previously, four close aides of the pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh were detained and flown to Assam’s Dibrugarh.

Previously, central agency sources informed that Daljeet Singh Kalsi alias Sarabjeet Singh Kalsi, who is an alleged advisor and financer of Amritpal Singh, was arrested by the authorities on Sunday.

The vehicle used by ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal Singh for his escape was also seized by Punjab Police, along with several other vehicles and ammunition.

Meanwhile, a heavy police force has been deployed outside Amritpal Singh’s residence in Jallupur Khera village in Amritsar. Security has also been tightened across the state, as per the police.

Jalandhar Commissioner Kuldeep Singh Chahal confirmed on Saturday evening that the radical leader had been declared a “fugitive”.

The police crackdown came almost three weeks after Amritpal’s supporters clashed with uniformed personnel at the Ajnala police station on 23 February on the outskirts of Amritsar, demanding the release of one of Amritpal’s close aides, Lovepreet Toofan.
Thousands of his supporters stormed the Ajnala police station, flashing swords and high-caliber firearms and threatening the police with dire consequences if they did not release Lovepreet Toofan, who was arrested for allegedly assaulting and abducting a man.