Amritpal Singh hid in gurdwara, fled on bike

Jupinderjit Singh

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Chandigarh, March 21

The Punjab Police today said pro-Khalistan activist Amritpal Singh escaped on a motorcycle wearing western clothes after hiding in a gurdwara at Nangal Ambian village in Jalandhar district.

Booked under stringent NSA

• On March 18, Amritpal abandoned his Mercedes car, sat in a Brezza and then used a bike to escape, say police
• He reportedly hid in a gurdwara at a Jalandhar village and changed into western clothes before fleeing
• The police say he was booked under the NSA on March 18

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154 from Amritpal’s group held

450 were on his beck and call

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Police issue lookout circular, non-bailable warrant

Punjab Police spokesperson IG Sukhchain Singh Gill said here that Amritpal had already been booked under the National Security Act (NSA). He said the “Waris Punjab De” chief and his aides were booked under the stringent NSA on March 18 night on the orders of the district magistrates of various districts.

The police also released Amritpal’s pictures from earlier life saying he might have changed his appearance to evade arrest. The police urged the public to try to recognise him from the photos. The spokesperson said Amritpal travelled in a Maruti Brezza after abandoning his Mercedes when chased by the police. He said the Brezza had been recovered and four persons—Manpreet, Gurdeep Singh, Harpreet Singh and Gurbhej Singh—who helped him had been arrested. Several swords, walkie-talkie sets and a .315 bore gun was recovered from them.

The police are learnt to have prepared a detailed dossier on Amritpal and his activities and how he was a “tool in the hands of anti-India forces abroad, especially pro-Khalistan groups, and Pakistan’s ISI”. The police have prepared a list of more than 450 persons who were on his beck and call. “We have nabbed 154 of them,” said the IG. The police have also issued a lookout circular and non-bailable warrant against Amritpal. The police have also arrested Kulwant Raoke of Moga and Guri Aujla of Kapurthala, under the NSA.