Chandigarh: The Punjab Police on Tuesday said that it has arrested four people for helping radical preacher Amritpal Singh escape. “In the preliminary investigation, it was found that they went to Gurudwara Sahib in Nangal Ambian where Amritpal changed his clothes and they escaped on two motorcycles. Teams are working, further investigation is underway,” news agency ANI quoted Punjab IGP Sukhchain Singh as saying. The Khalistan sympathiser managed to escape after changing his vehicle on Saturday when police had launched a crackdown against him and his outfit ‘Waris Punjab De’. “Manpreet Singh alias Manna, Gurdeep Singh alias Deepa, Harpreet Singh alias Happy and Gurbhej Singh alias Bheja have been apprehended for helping Amritpal Singh escape,” Gill said.
The Khalistan sympathiser managed to escape after changing his vehicle on Saturday when police had launched a crackdown against him and his outfit ‘Waris Punjab De’.
The car has been seized, he said, adding that a .315 bore rifle, some swords and a walkie-talkie set were found in it.
Police also released four pictures of Amritpal Singh in different attire and appealed to people to help tracing him.
#WATCH | ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal Singh was seen escaping in an SUV in Jalandhar on March 18. He is still on the run.
(CCTV visuals) pic.twitter.com/QNHty6PgJP
— ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2023
The IG further said efforts are on to nab the radical preacher. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is monitoring the situation and taking regular feedback from police officers, Gill said.
“The law and order situation is under control in Punjab. There is peace and calm in the state,” IGP said.
Earlier today, an order to detain radical preacher Amritpal Singh under the stringent National Security Act was issued by the Amritsar district magistrate on Saturday, said the affidavit of a police officer which also described how the Waris Punjab De chief gave the cops the slip.
“During this operation, one ‘naka’ (check post) was set up by a police party of Khilchian police station, District Amritsar (Rural). Amritpal Singh and his associates were travelling in a Mercedes car along with a caravan of three more vehicles,” it said.
“They were directed by the police party to stop at the ‘naka’, but instead of stopping their vehicles, the cavalcade broke and escaped from the ‘naka’. Then all the adjoining police stations and districts were alerted to locate his vehicles,” the affidavit said.
It said Amritpal and his associates while being on the run were spotted driving rashly and negligently near a government school, village Salema, Mehatpur in Jalandhar in one chocolate-coloured ISUZU Pickup car.
“Amritpal was carrying one .315 rifle and brandishing the same with an objective of creating fear amongst the public. He and others abandoned the car and fled from the spot,” said the affidavit.