Radical Sikh preacher still on the run; fresh FIR filed in illegal weapons case
In the wake of crackdown on Amritpal Singh and his followers in Punjab, the UT Administration has imposed Section 144 of CrPc. Carrying any kind of weapons within the UT has been prohibited.
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The Punjab Police were chasing Amritpal Singh, who has been declared a fugitive by Punjab Police, to nab him and his aides.
The senior police officer said, “While interception in Mehatpur, a crowded market, the vehicle in front, somehow managed to flee. But we have recovered the other two cars of his convoy.”
“We have recovered seven illegal weapons too,” he added.
Narrating the hot chase in Jalandhar, during which the chief of ‘Waris Punjab De’, now declared fugitive Amritpal Singh, escaped, Jalandhar DIG Swapan Sharma on Sunday said two vehicles of the pro-Khalistan leader’s convoy have been seized, adding that he crashed into motorbikes to divert the police.
“We were directed to nab him (Amritpal Singh). While chasing, he ended up on a one-lane link road ahead of us. While outrunning us he crashed into several motorbike riders, some were with the motive to divert us from the chase,” Deputy Inspector General Swapan Sharma said.
Punjab Police continued their search for self-styled radical Sikh preacher and head of ‘Waris Punjab De’, Amritpal Singh, who has been declared a ‘fugitive’, for the second day on Sunday, with the police registering a fresh FIR against him and his associates in an illegal weapons case.
The police have seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition from Amritpal’s aides, who were arrested on Saturday.
The police had on Saturday launched a major crackdown against Amritpal and arrested 78 members of Waris Punjab De, including six to seven gunmen of the radical outfit.
Some supporters of ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief shared some videos on social media claiming that policemen were chasing them.
A video also showed Amritpal sitting in a vehicle and one of his aides could be heard saying policemen were after ‘Bhai saab’ (Amritpal).
Another supporter in a field shared a video in which he was claiming that policemen were after him.
Meanwhile, Punjab Police asked people to maintain peace and harmony.
“Request all citizens to maintain peace & harmony Punjab Police is working to maintain Law & Order. Request citizens not to panic or spread fake news or hate speech,” it said in a tweet.
The state home affairs department ordered suspension of internet services in the state citing probable incitement to violence by some people.
“Whereas DGP has brought to my notice that certain sections of society are likely to threaten public order by incitement to violence as also resorting to widespread violence with an aim to stoke and cause communal tension, obstruction or injury to persons, danger to human life and property.
“Therefore … it is directed that all mobile internet services …, all SMS services (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services provided on mobile networks, except the voice calls, in the territorial jurisdiction of Punjab shall be suspended from March 18 (12.00 hours) to March 19 (12.00 hours) in the interest of public safety to prevent any incitement to violence and to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order,” read its order.
Last month, Khalistani sympathiser Amritpal and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and barged into the Ajnala Police Station in the outskirts of the Amritsar city, clashing with police demanding the release of one of Amritpal’s aide.
During the incident, six policemen including a Superintendent of Police rank officer had suffered injuries.