CHANDIGARH/GUWAHATI: Radical preacher Amritpal Singh on Sunday joined nine of his close aides, including his uncle Harjit Singh, in Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam where they have been lodged since last month.
Immediately after his arrest on Sunday, the Punjab Police took Amritpal from Rode village in Moga and from there, straight to the Bathinda airport under heavy security. A special plane took him to Dibrugarh in Assam by a team of Punjab police personnel where he was lodged in the high-security Central jail. The Assam Police provided heavy security cover from the airport to jail.
‘Nine of Amritpal’s close aides — Daljit Singh Kalsi, Papalpreet Singh, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, Varinder Singh Johal, Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, Harjit Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Basant Singh and Gurinderpal Singh Aujla -- have been lodged in Dibrugarh jail in Assam and charged under the stringent National Security Act. The security around the prison has been tightened since March 19.
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A multi-layer security ring has been thrown around the jail as the entire jail complex has been kept out of the bounds of the public. Several high-mast lights have been put up and there is round-the-clock CCTV surveillance. They are the only Sikh inmates of the Dibrugarh jail which is Assam’s second oldest prison built in 1857.
The police have not yet issued any statement but a senior government official said there are no security concerns. “Amritpal and the others (his aides) have been lodged at the Dibrugarh jail based on the request of the Punjab government. All of them have been kept within the same compound,” an official told this paper, adding, “We have updated the security measures. The jail is under CCTV surveillance. The CCTVs have been also upgraded.”
Security has been augmented, both inside and outside the jail. “We recently conducted a security review meeting. We don’t have any security-related concerns,” the official said.
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann said the AAP government was duty-bound to preserve hard-earned peace and communal harmony in the state.
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How he grabbed headlines
Life for radical preacher Amritpal Singh transformed since his return from Dubai in the middle of last year. Today, he was booked under the stringent sections of the National Security Act (NSA). Besides, Punjab Police has registered eight criminal cases. Here’s how it erupted this year:
February 16: Punjab Police books Amritpal and others for kidnapping, assault, criminal intimidation and snatching on the complaint lodged by one Varinder Singh belonging to Chamkaur Sahib in Anandpur Sahib. The charge: Physical assault, threat to kill Varinde. February 24: Cases of attempt to murder and assaulting police officers were registered against Amritpal and his men for attacking Ajnala Police Station to free his aide Lovepreet Singh alias Toofan on February 17. Toofan was later released by court. March 18: Amritpal was booked for rash and negligent driving and disobedience to the orders of a public servant at Mehtpur Police Station, as he broke through police barricades March 19: He faces two more cases: one at Khilchian police station, Amritsar, for rash and negligent, obstructing public servants and criminal intimidation. The second case was registered the same day by Amritsar (Rural) Police under Arms Act. March 20: Amritpal, his uncle Harjit Singh and driver Harpreet were booked for trespassing and wrongful confinement at Mehatpur Police Station on the complaint of Udhowal village (Jalandhar) sarpanch who alleged that Harjit and Harpreet held him and his family hostage for 29 hours at gunpoint. March 21: Booked for rioting, unlawful assembly, extortion, criminal intimidation and under Arms Act at Shahkot police station (Jalandhar), on the complaint of a gurdwara priest. The complaint said Amritpal pointed a gun at his son and demanded clothes. March 24: He and his close aide Papalpreet were booked on charges of extortion and illegal confinement at Bilga Police Station, Jalandhar (Rural) on the complaint of a woman that he forced her to help him cross the Sutlej.READ MORE:
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