Punjab Police Releases Pictures Of Amritpal Singh, Asks People To Help In His Arrest

Radical preacher and pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh had on Saturday managed to give Punjab Police a slip after a massive crackdown was launched against him and his outfit 'Waris Punjab De'.

New Delhi: With radical preacher Amritpal Singh still on the run, Punjab Police on Tuesday (March 21, 2023) released several photographs of the Khalistan sympathiser, including some in which he is not wearing a turban, and sought the help of the public to arrest him. Amritpal on Saturday had managed to give police a slip after changing his vehicle when police had launched a massive crackdown against him and his outfit 'Waris Punjab De'.

He was initially seen in his Mercedes car but later switched to Brezza SUV during the police action. In a new photo that appeared on social media, he could be seen riding a pillion on a bike wearing a pink turban and black goggles, suggesting that he tried to change his appearance to get away from the eyes of the cops.

CCTV footage showed him escaping in the SUV from the Jalandhar toll plaza.

Releasing as many as seven pictures of Amritpal Singh in different looks, police appealed to people to help them in tracing him. 

Punjab Police releases a few pictures of 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh, requesting people to help them in his arrest. pic.twitter.com/cXbQayGsdm — ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2023

At a press conference in Chandigarh, Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill said that they have four arrested people on Tuesday who helped Amritpal escape in the car. 

During their questioning, it came to the fore that Amritpal Singh went to a gurdwara in Nangal Ambian village in Jalandhar.

"There he changed his clothes, and wore a shirt and pant, and escaped along with three others on two bikes," Gill said.

Manpreet Singh alias Manna, a resident of Nava Killa in Shahkot, Gurdeep Singh alias Deepa, a resident of village Bal Nau in Nakodar, Harpreet Singh alias Happy of village Kotla Nodh Singh in Hoshiarpur, and Gurbhej Singh alias Bheja of village Gondara in Faridkot have been apprehended for helping Amritpal Singh during the police chase on Saturday, he added.

The SUV has been seized from Manna, he said, adding that a .315 bore rifle, some swords and a walkie-talkie set were found in it.

Watch | IGP Headquarters addressing a Press Conference on #AmritpalSingh at #PunjabPolice HQshttps://t.co/49PvcsyPGC — Punjab Police India (@PunjabPoliceInd) March 21, 2023

Gill said the situation is completely peaceful in Punjab and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has been monitoring the situation and taking regular feedback from police officers.

NSA invoked against Amritpal Singh 

The IG informed that the National Security Act (NSA) has been invoked against Amritpal Singh. A lookout circular and a non-bailable warrant have also been issued against the pro-Khalistan leader.

The Punjab Police stated that 154 people have been arrested so far as part of the crackdown against Singh.

Police have also detained Kulwant Singh Raoke of village Raoke in Moga district and Gurinderpal Singh alias Guri Aujla of Kapurthala under the National Security Act. 

Altogether, seven people have been detained under the NSA, the police said.

Amritpal's uncle Harjit Singh and driver Harpreet Singh have been booked in a separate case for taking shelter for two days at the residence of Manpreet Singh, the sarpanch of Uddowal village in Mehatpur in Jalandhar, at gunpoint. They have been booked under the relevant provisions of the IPC and the Arms Act.

Harjit Singh -- who has been shifted to Dibrugarh jail in Assam -- and Harpreet Singh had surrendered before police in Jalandhar.