Murder bid, assault cases against Amritpal Singh

PK Jaiswar

Amritsar, March 20

Pro-Khalistan activist and ‘Waris Punjab De’ head Amritpal Singh is facing six criminal cases, including an attempt to murder case and assault on police officials. Of the six cases, two were filed in Sunday.

Booked for rash driving too

• Feb 16 Amritpal, accomplices booked for kidnapping and assault
• Feb 22 Amritsarpolice book him for spreading hatred
• Feb 22 Baghapurana police book him for spreading disharmony
• Feb 24 Amritpal, armed followers booked for murder bid, assault on police after storming of the Ajnala police station
• March 18 Booked under the Arms Act, Indian Penal Code
• March 19 Jalandhar police book him for rash driving

It all started with the registration of kidnapping and assault case filed against him by Varinder Singh, a resident of Chamkaur Sahib in Ropar, on February 16 at the Ajnala police station here.

On Sunday, two fresh cases under the Arms act and rash driving were slapped against him and his aides.

Varinder lodged a complaint with the police, accusing Amritpal and his supporters of abducting him at Ajnala. He told the police that he was kidnapped in a black ISUZU. He had alleged that the accused took him to Jandiala Guru where Amritpal and his armed supporters were present. He alleged he was beaten up with wooden sticks by Amritpal’s supporters. He also accused them of snatching his two phones and purse.

Following his complaint, a case under Sections 365 (kidnapping), 379-B (2) (causing hurt while committing snatching), 323 (voluntarily causes hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC was registered at the Ajnala police station. Besides Amritpal, the police had booked Bikramjit Singh, Pappalpreet Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Fauji Rode and 20 unknown persons.

Two days later, the police nabbed his aide Lovepreet Singh, alias Toofan, a resident of Tibri in Gurdaspur. His arrest infuriated Amritpal who alleged that the police had falsely implicated him in the case as there was no evidence of his presence at the spot. He threatened to gherao the Ajnala police station, seeking Lovepreet’s release and cancellation of the FIR against them.

On February 24, Amritpal and his hundreds of armed supporters stormed the Ajnala police station and clashed with police teams. Six cops were injured in the attack.

Acceding to their demands, the police formed an SIT to probe the FIR, while releasing Lovepreet from the Amritsar Central Jail.

Following the incident the police registered an FIR against Amritpal Singh and his associates on February 26, but kept it under the carpet.

On Sunday, the SSP confirmed that the case had been registered a day after the Ajnala incident.

After the crackdown began, the police registered two more FIRs — one in Amritsar and one in Jalandhar. In Amritsar, Amritpal and his associates have been booked under the Arms Act and IPC, following seizure of eight illegal weapons and ammunition. In Jalandhar, another FIR under the Arms Act has been registered following seizure of a weapon and ammunition from a vehicle seized from Shahkot on Sunday.