According to reports, in a major breakthrough amid the ongoing manhunt, ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal Singh was apprehended by Punjab Police in the Moga district of Punjab. Earlier on Saturday, when asked about Amritpal Singh’s arrest and the fact that he has been on the run for a long time, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “It may happen sometime. Earlier he used to roam freely, but now he cannot carry on with his activities.”
On April 18, Punjab and Delhi Police arrested two more aides of a fugitive radical preacher and Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh in Mohali, Punjab, in a joint operation. On April 15, Punjab Police arrested his close aide Joga Singh in Sirhind, Fatehgarh Sahib district.
Papalpreet Singh, another close associate of the pro-Khalistani leader, was apprehended on April 10 in an operation carried out by Punjab Police and its counter-intelligence unit. Earlier this month, the radical leader was declared a “fugitive” while on the run.
“Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal Singh has been declared a fugitive. His two cars were seized and gunmen nabbed. We also checked if the firearms of his security escorts had been procured legally. A case has been registered. Punjab Police have launched a manhunt for Amritpal Singh and we are hopeful that he will be arrested soon. A total of 78 people have been arrested so far and further searches and raids are underway,” Chahal said in an exclusive interview with ANI.
The Punjab police issued a lookout circular (LOC) and non-bailable warrant (NBW) against the chief of ‘Waris Punjab De’ almost a month ago. Amritpal has been on the run since the day Punjab Police launched a massive manhunt for him on March 18. The crackdown came nearly three weeks after Amritpal’s supporters stormed Amritsar’s Ajnala police station on February 23, demanding the release of one of his aides, Lovepreet Toofan.
