Waris Pujab De leader Amritpal Singh has been declared a fugitive and his vehicles have been seized, Punjab Police said.
Police also claimed that a massive cordon and search operation has been launched to arrest Amrirpal Singh who was last seen speeding away on a motorcycle last evening in Jalandhar.
As per news reports, Police have arrested 78 persons from Punjab, who are members of ‘Waris Punjab De,’ while several others have been detained for questioning, officials said.
A research scholar Makhan Singh who is pursuing his Ph.D from Punjabi University Patiala has also been picked by Punjab Police from his home.
Makhan Singh, a research scholar at Punjabi University Patiala has been picked by Punjab Police from his home. pic.twitter.com/9MNtFUtsii
— Sandeep Singh (@PunYaab) March 19, 2023
The father of Amritpal Singh has appeared on the media and said the Police searched their house for three-four hours. “They didn’t find anything illegal. The police should have arrested him when he left the house in the morning,” Tarsem told the news agency ANI.
Even though Police continues denying that Amritpal has been arrested, one of his close aides has issued a video on the internet stating that Amritpal was arrested by Police in Jalhandar around 3 PM. Several news channels had also reported of the arrest. The aide claimed that Amritpal is likely to be taken out of Punjab or handed over to one of the gangs in Punjab.
Meanwhile, security has been tightened across Punjab even as internet, SMS services continue to remain suspended in the state. Heavy security arrangement has been made outside Amritpal Singh’s village, Jallupur Khaira, in Amritsar as well. Police also detained his father and are questioning him, as per media reports.
Protests have hit several areas of Punjab as confusion continued to prevail over the arrest of the Waris Punjab De head.
UPDATE | Reports of Sikhs gathering in protest of Amritpal Singh's arrest and the draconian measures in place across Punjab, including the suspension of some civil rights and mobile internet. pic.twitter.com/0I7TK2ZIEG
— Baaz (@BaazNewsOrg) March 18, 2023
Protests also broke out in Mohali against Punjab Police’s crackdown on Waris Punjab De. The protestors were demanding information regarding the whereabouts of Amritpal Singh.
#Punjab #FreeSikhPrisoners #Brampton #protest pic.twitter.com/3yUiIocvxH
— Navjot singh (@Navjotsinghpb06) March 18, 2023
In Brampton Canada, several Sikhs staged a protest against the “arrest” of the Sikh leader.