As Punjab Police crackdown to nab Amritpal Singh entered a second day, the radical preacher and Khalistani sympathiser is still on the run with manhunt in full flow. Internet suspension in Punjab was earlier extended for another day. Police had also registered a fresh FIR against the Waris Punjab De chief and his aides for possession of illegal weapons. Latest updates here:
- Punjab Police conducted flag marches at several places including Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana. Amritpal Singh remains on the run.
- Haryana has intensified checking of vehicles along the border with Punjab amid the major manhunt underway to nab Amritpal. Ambala police have been put on high alert at the Shambhu border with Punjab. Additional checkpoints have been set up with heavy deployment of police personnel. Vigil and checking has been intensified in other districts like Kurukshetra, Kaithal and Sirsa, which share borders with Punjab.
- Punjab Police have launched a fresh FIR against Amritpal Singh and his associates in connection with possession of illegal weapons. Seven associates of Amritpal have been arrested under the provisions of the Arms Act, Amritsar Rural Senior Superintendent of Police Satinder Singh said on Sunday afternoon.
- In the crackdown, police have seized six illegal 12 bore guns and 193 live cartridges from the possession of seven Amritpal associates. Two MUVs have also been recovered. Police also searched Amritpal’s native village during the crackdown on Saturday.
- With Amritpal still on the run, the Punjab government extended the mobile internet suspension till Monday noon. This includes “all mobile internet services (2G/3G/45/5G/CDMA/GPRS), all SMS services (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services provided on mobile networks, except voice calls, in the territorial jurisdiction of Punjab”.
- Meanwhile, police took into custody at least 21 supporters of Amritpal Singh as they tried to stage a 'dharna' on a road to protest the crackdown near Boparai Kalan town in Ludhiana. 4 aides of the fugitive preacher were flown to Assam’s Dibrugarh district on Sunday due to security reasons, police sources said.
- Police had arrested 78 members of Waris Punjab De outfit on Saturday in a massive crackdown against Amritpal Singh. The radical preacher slipped away when police intercepted his cavalcade in Jalandhar district. Amritpal was declared a fugitive. Manhunt entered a second day on Sunday.
- An FIR was also registered against Amritpal and his associates earlier by the police in connection with the February 23 Ajnala Police Station storming incident which left half a dozen cops injured.
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(Inputs from agencies)
