Amritpal's top aide Joga Singh arrested from Sirhind: Punjab Police

CHANDIGRAH: In a major breakthrough amid the continuing manhunt for fugitive Khalistan leader and radical preacher Amritpal Singh, Punjab police on Saturday arrested his close aide Joga Singh from Sirhind in the Fatehgarh Sahib district.

"Punjab police arrested 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh's main aide Joga Singh from Sirhind. He was arrested in a joint operation by Amritsar police rural and Hoshiyarpur police," DIG Border Range Narinder Bhargav said at a press briefing on Saturday.

According to the police, Joga Singh gave Amritpal shelter, helped him escape from Delhi and then brought him back to Punjab.

"This is the person who took Amritpal from the time he was reported absconding, beyond Delhi, gave him shelter and then brought him back to Punjab. He wasn't booked under NSA (National Security Act). He will be produced in the Hoshiarpur court. Joga Singh's intention was to stay low in some areas of Haryana," said Narinder Bhargav.

Earlier, the Punjab police arrested Papalpreet Singh, a close aide of the fugitive Khalistan leader and was brought to Assam's Dibrugarh Central Jail on Tuesday. Briefing the media on the capture of Amritpal's close aide, Punjab's Inspector General of Police (IGP), Headquarters, Sukhchain Singh Gill said Papalpreet was arrested under the National Security Act (NSA).

"Papalpreet Singh, the main associate of Amritpal Singh was arrested by Amritsar Rural Police from the Kathu Nangal area. The arrest was made under the National Security Act. Apart from being an associate of Amritpal, he was also wanted in six cases," Gill said, adding that action against him will be taken as per the law.

 Papalpreet was seen with the fugitive Khalistan leader in several photographs that surfaced after the duo escaped the dragnet cast for them by the state police.

In an unverified video on March 30, the 'Waris Punjab De' chief said he was not "a fugitive" and would soon "appear in front of the world". Further, in the video, the veracity of which could not be determined, Amritpal said those who think he ran away from his people or friends should "get that thing" out of their minds.

Earlier, on March 18, Punjab Police launched an operation against Amritpal and his aides. The Punjab Police had earlier, expressed doubts about Amritpal entering the Delhi border using any vehicle other than a bus. Following the input, Delhi Police raised an alert and stepped up efforts to track the fugitive radical preacher.

Amritpal has been on the run since March 18, the day Punjab Police launched a massive manhunt for him. The crackdown came almost over three weeks after Amritpal's supporters stormed Ajnala police station in Amritsar on February 23, demanding the release of one of his aides, Lovepreet Toofan.