Papalpreet Singh 'Advocated' separate Sikh state

Chandigarh/Amritsar, April 11

Papalpreet Singh (40), a former journalist with a vernacular daily, belongs to Marari village in Amritsar. He was running his channel and was said to be the media adviser to Amritpal Singh.

He was fondly called ‘Papalpreet’ but the name has no meaning. He lived with his parents and is married and has an 8-year-old son. He reportedly advocated for the cause of a separate Sikh state in 2007 following the pronouncement of death penalty to Jagtar Singh Hawara and Balwant Singh Rajoana, who were convicted of killing former Chief Minister Beant Singh. He was associated with the Sikh Youth Front and Sikh Youth Federation (Bhindranwale).

He hogged the limelight during the controversial 2015 Sarbat Khalsa where he read out message of jailed separatist Narain Singh Chaura, who allegedly had links with the Babbar Khalsa International associated with Pakistan’s ISI. Papalpreet was arrested for alleged links with terror groups.

In 2016, he joined the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) and campaigned for Simranjit Singh Mann in Barnala in the 2017 Assembly elections, but resigned after a few months.

In June 2019, he and his associates were booked on the charges of murder bid and under the Arms Act after a youth of Mardi Kalan village in Majitha accused Papalpreet of attacking him.

On his Facebook profile, he introduces himself as a journalist, writer and photographer. He had formed a political outfit Sikh Youth Front in 2015. He later started working against drug addiction and was booked in 2019 for attempt to murder. He came in touch with Amritpal after he became head of the Waris Punjab De.

SGPC lawyers back from Assam

• A team of SGPC lawyers, led by Bhagwant Singh Sialka, which visited the jailed youths, reached New Delhi on Tuesday
• He said with the cooperation of the DLSA and the Dibrugarh Bar Association, it was possible to extend relaxation to those arrested
• “They are being treated as ‘political prisoners’ and have access to all basic amenities. We are trying to procure a special permission for them to meet their relatives,” he said.