Punjab separatist leader and Khalistani supporter Amritpal Singh has been arrested by the police in Punjab`s Moga district, IANS reported. This comes after a dramatic hour-long high-speed chase in a major operation involving central paramilitary forces, officials said.
The Punjab Police launched action against the 'Waris Punjab De' chief and his aides on Saturday. Meanwhile, internet services have been suspended in the state till 12 pm Sunday. Six gunmen of Amritpal Singh, the chief of `Waris Punjab De`, were also arrested. They were taken to an undisclosed location.
Supporters of Amritpal Singh have been sharing videos of police vehicles chasing Singh`s cavalcade in Moga district. Anticipating disturbance of peace, a large contingent of the paramilitary force was deployed outside his native village, Jallupur Khaira, in Amritsar district.
A special team of the police, comprising personnel from seven districts, had followed the separatist leader`s convoy while he was on his way to Jalandhar`s Shahkot tehsil. They had closed on his vehicles two to three times but Amritpal Singh managed to escape.
Thirty-year-old Amritpal Singh, a pro-Khalistan fiery propagator and self-styled preacher, has been running `separatist` propaganda through speeches. Three cases, including two of delivering hate speeches, have been pending against him.
On the radar of Central investigating agencies, he has drawn comparisons to Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale owing to his similar looks and donning a navy blue turban, a white chola, and a sword-sized kirpan.
On February 23, an armed mob led by Amritpal Singh clashed with police and laid siege to a police station near Amritsar, demanding the release of one of their colleagues who had been taken into custody in an alleged kidnapping case.
Six policemen were injured in the bloody clash. Police officials later clarified that they were unable to control the crowd as they were carrying a physical copy of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, also called Bir in Punjabi, as a shield.
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.
Last month, 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, and clashed with police for the release of one of Amritpal's aide. During the incident, six policemen including a Superintendent of Police rank officer had suffered injuries
(With inputs from IANS).
READ | Who is Amritpal Singh, radical preacher, Khalistan sympathiser and chief of Waris Punjab De?
