Amritpal Singh | Photo: ANI
Chandigarh: Radical Sikh preacher and Khalistani sympathiser Amritpal Singh was arrested in Punjab's Moga district on Saturday after a dramatic hour-long high-speed chase in a major operation involving central paramilitary forces, reports said. However, police have not officially confirmed the matter so far.
Six gunmen of Amritpal Singh, the chief of 'Waris Punjab De', were also arrested. They were taken to an undisclosed location, the reports added.
Thirty-year-old Amritpal Singh, a pro-Khalistan fiery propagator and self-styled preacher, has been running 'separatist' propaganda through speeches. Three cases, including two of delivering hate speeches, have been pending against him.
On the radar of Central investigating agencies, he has drawn comparisons to Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale owing to his similar looks and donning a navy blue turban, a white chola, and a sword-sized kirpan.
On February 23, an armed mob led by Amritpal Singh clashed with police and laid siege to a police station near Amritsar, demanding the release of one of their colleagues who had been taken into custody in an alleged kidnapping case.
Six policemen were injured in the bloody clash.
Police officials later clarified that they were unable to control the crowd as they were carrying a physical copy of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, also called Bir in Punjabi, as a shield.
Reacting to reports on Amritpal's arrest, Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu said the man who "used to talk about taking up arms for Khalistan is today running away fearing the police".
"Does a Sikh ever run away? He would have faced the police if he had courage. He is running around in the streets like a jackal. I used to say earlier, too, that he has come to get our children killed. He is a man of (intelligence) agencies," he said.
With IANS inputs
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