Fugitive pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh has been arrested by the Punjab Police at Shahkot police station, Imaan Singh Khara, the legal advisor to ‘Waris Punjab De’ claimed late on Sunday. Despite Punjab Police`s statement that Amritpal Singh is still on the run and efforts are on to nab him, Advocate Imaan Singh Khara claimed that the Khalistan sympathiser has been arrested at Shahkot Police Station.
Khara also alleged that the police wants to kill Singh in a “fake encounter”. Citing a threat to the life of Amritpal Singh, Advocate Khara has approached Punjab and Haryana High Court and filed a writ petition. “Today I have filed a criminal writ petition (Imaan Singh Khara vs State of Punjab) in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. This is a Habeas Corpus writ petition,” he told news agency ANI.
Advocate Khara said, “as per the Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which is the Right to Life, police cannot beat anyone without the due procedure of the court.” “In this plea, we have appealed to the Punjab and Haryana High Court that there is a threat to Amritpal Singh`s life and that he is arrested at Shahkot Police Station,” he said. The lawyer further alleged that despite their [police`s] duty of producing a person before the magistrate within 24 hours, police haven`t produced him [Amritpal Singh].
“Police have a malicious intention,” he alleged further. Earlier in the day, however, Punjab Police said that the Waris Punjab De chief is still on the run and efforts to nab him are going on.
“During the ongoing operations against the elements of Waris Punjab De and persons attempting to disturb peace and harmony in the state, another 34 arrests were made throughout the state on Sunday. A total of 112 persons have been arrested so far,” Punjab Police said.
In sharp contrast to this, Advocate Khara said, “police can kill him in a fake encounter and can trap him in false and fabricated cases by utilising the time.” “Regarding this, we have filed a writ petition,” he added.
He also claimed that Punjab and Haryana High Court have directed the Punjab police to come up with a missive in Amritpal Singh`s case. “Justice NS Shekhawat, whom the writ petition was marked in the Punjab and Haryana court, heard it. The matter was debated for 1.30 hours, wherein Punjab Advocate General and other Punjab government Advocates were also present and submitted their side,” he said.
“After hearing the argument of both sides, the Judge has issued a notice to the Punjab government and also directed the Punjab Police to come up with the missive in Amritpal Singh`s case,” he added.
Meanwhile, security agencies had raised a red flag after intelligence inputs suggested that pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh was using drug de-addiction centres and a gurdwara for stockpiling weapons and preparing youths to carry out suicide attacks, officials said on Sunday.
A thick dossier prepared with inputs from various security agencies claimed that Singh, who returned from Dubai last year allegedly at the behest of Pakistan’s ISI and Khalistan sympathisers residing overseas, was mainly engaged in brainwashing youths to become “khadkoos” or human bombs.
The Punjab Police launched a massive crackdown on Saturday and arrested hundreds of activists and supporters of the ‘Waris Punjab De’ outfit headed by him.
According to experts and officials monitoring the situation in Punjab, Pakistan, which is going through its worst economic phase and lost all the wars fought against India, is trying its best to divert the attention of its people by planting stooges like Amritpal Singh inside India.
During the ongoing investigation, several arms and ammunition meant for the so-called Anandpur Khalsa Front (AKF), a creation of Amritpal Singh, were seized. Also, police confiscated uniforms and jackets, officials said, adding that the weapons and ammunition seized from the radical Sikh preacher’s car bore “AKF” marking on them.
The officials said weapons were illegally being stockpiled in several de-addiction centres run by the ‘Waris Panjab De’ and a gurdwara in Amritsar.
