Massive hunt launched for Amritpal Singh in Moga district

Tribune News Service

Kulwinder Sandhu

Moga, March 21

A secret search operation has been launched by the Moga police to find out the whereabouts of fugitive Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh, in the Baghapurana and Nihalsinghwala sub-divisions in the district on Tuesday.

The operation has been launched on the basis of intelligence inputs that Amritpal might have entered the Moga district for a safe hideout.

A senior official of the Punjab police said there were chances that Amritpal might have crossed the Sutlej river from Jalandhar side to enter the Moga district. He has a good following in the Moga district.

More than 10 of his close associates hailing from Moga district have already been arrested by the police.

Since, there was tight security on the other side in Jalandhar district it was not possible for Amritpal to find a safe hideout there. Moreover, he was also not known to the Shahkot and Nakodar areas of the Jalandhar district.

Sources in the state intelligence believe that Amritpal took advantage of bad weather conditions during the night time to cross the Sutlej. Most probably, if in Moga, he might have crossed the river on a boat, they believe. Since, the police forces were deployed on the highways; he might have taken to the rural link roads to go to a safe hideout.

At least, 50 nakas have been set-up by the Moga police on the highways and link roads where all vehicles were being checked; besides, keeping an eye on the commuters. A hawk’s eye was being kept on the commuters on all roads leading to the Ferozepur district. The central intelligence agencies believe that Amritpal may try to cross the international border to enter Pakistan with the help of international drug smugglers and spies who were active in the border areas.

Meanwhile, based on intelligence inputs, the police launched search operations at Buttar Kalan, Badhni Kalan, Singhawala, Rode and a few other villages of Baghapurana and Nihalsinghwala sub-divisions.