With a manhunt underway in Punjab for radical Sikh preacher and Khalistani sympathiser Amritpal Singh, it has now been revealed that two more FIRs have been filed against him and his associates in connection with the recovery of a weapon from an abandoned vehicle and breaking through police barricades in Jalandhar, news agency PTI reported.
The extreme preacher and Khalistan supporter has been on the run since the Punjab Police began a big operation on Saturday, arresting 78 members of his ‘Waris Punjab De’.
Swapan Sharma, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Jalandhar area), said one of the FIRs was filed on Sunday following the seizure of a weapon and dozens of live cartridges from the vehicle, which was thought to be part of Amritpal Singh’s convoy on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has extended the suspension of internet services till tomorrow (Monday, March 20) as the police are yet to nab ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief and Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh.
According to Sharma, the second case was filed on Saturday after Amritpal Singh and his companions burst through police barricades in Jalandhar.
Previously, on February 24, police had filed an FIR against Amritpal Singh and his associates in connection with the Ajnala incident the day before.
Some supporters of ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief shared some videos on social media claiming that policemen were chasing them. A video also showed Amritpal sitting in a vehicle and one of his aides could be heard saying policemen were after ‘Bhai saab’ (Amritpal), PTI reported.
The Punjab Police on Saturday asked people to maintain peace and harmony. “Request all citizens to maintain peace and harmony. Punjab Police is working to maintain Law & Order. Request citizens not to panic or spread fake news or hate speech,” it said in a tweet.
Last month, Amritpal and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and barged into the Ajnala Police Station on the outskirts of the Amritsar city, and clashed with police for the release of one of Amritpal’s aides.
During the incident, six policemen including a Superintendent of Police rank officer had suffered injuries, as per a PTI report.
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