Security blanket around Golden Temple amid speculation over fugitive’s surrender

Amritsar, March 29

Amid speculations that pro-Khalistan activist Amritpal may surrender before Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, a heavy police force was deployed around the Golden Temple complex on Wednesday.

With senior police officials on the spot, all routes leading to the holiest Sikh shrine were made out of bound for vehicular traffic. Only pedestrians, most of them tourists, were allowed to move ahead. The majority of the officials were not armed and they did not even allow hand-driven carts selling eatables and religious articles to tourists.

Even as the Jathedar was not present in his office today, the police did not take any chance.

DCP (Law & Order) Parminder Singh Bhandal, AIG JS Walia and several Deputy Commissioners of Police remained were at the spot. At no point of time did they relaxed the vigil.

The Amritsar (Rural) police issued a hue-and-cry notice against Amritpal, seeking public help for any information pertaining to him.

In the wake of activists of ‘Waris Punjab De’, led by Amritpal Singh, storming the Ajnala police station on February 22, the police had launched a massive crackdown against them on March 18.

Security beefed up at Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib

• While Amritpal Singh has posted a video on social media calling for a ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ on the occasion of Baisakhi, the police have been deployed near Takht Kesgarh Sahib
• Amritpal, who has been evading arrest since the police crackdown on his outfit ‘Waris Punjab De’ on March 18, was asked by Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh to surrender
• SHO Simaranjit Singh, however, denied the claims and said the police had been deployed only to maintain law and order in the town