CHANDIGARH: 'Waris Punjab De' chief and radical preacher Amritpal Singh's family on Sunday said that he surrendered before the police and was not arrested as reports claim.
'Waris Punjab De' is a 'Sikh-separatist political group' that 'propagates the cause of an independent Khalistan.'
"We'll fight the legal battle against his arrest," Amritpal's uncle said.
Amritpal's father Tarsem Singh appealed to the community (Sangat) that it should keep on with his son's mission which was fighting the drug menace.
Talking about his son's arrest, Tarsem Singh said, "We came to know about it through the media. We were not in touch with him. He still dons Sikh attire. We're thankful for that. The police had registered false cases against him. I'm with all the people who have been harassed by the Punjab police."
Amritpal's mother Balwinder Kaur said she was proud of her son. "He's a warrior. He surrendered like a lion," she said.
"We request the Sangat to start Khalsa Vheer. The police have been saying this and that. The government is trying to tarnish his image. We will now go an meet him in jail. His wife Kirandeep Kaur will also go with us," she added.
His uncle Sukhchain Singh, a retired inspector with Punjab Police, said the family will fight the case legally.
"We came to know today morning that Amritpal Singh has surrendered. We were thinking he was in police custody. Finally, the dilemma has ended. We will go and meet him in jail.’’ he said.
Was Amritpal Singh under immense pressure to surrender before the police? His "arrest" comes three days after his wife Kirandeep Kaur, a British national, was stopped at the Amritsar International Airport while trying to fly to London. She was questioned and sent back to Jallapur Khera village.
He had plans to fly out of the country. Kaur was under the surveillance of the state police and various agencies. He could have nurtured a fear that his wife would be implicated in helping him to escape from the police. Moreover, she was questioned about foreign funds allegedly received by him. Kaur's visa was valid till July. But he apparently wanted her to leave for the UK since he anticipated his possible arrest.
Meanwhile, Congress Member of Parliament from Ludhiana Ravneet Singh Bittu remarked, "When his aides were arrested he (Amritpal) did not raise his voice. Now when his wife was stopped he has surfaced.’’
Amritpal was shifted to Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam where nine of his associates were already lodged.
