Manhunt to nab Amritpal Singh enters Day 3. The radical was stockpiling weapons, planning suicide attacks

As the calls for creation of Khalistan are echoing again in Punjab from some separatists, a massive search operation to nab radical Amritpal Singh, the self-styled chief of Waris Punjab De, entered the third day on Monday (March 20).

Amritpal has been declared a fugitive after he gave cops the slip on Saturday (March 18) following an intense car chase in Jalandhar district.

The Punjab Police launched a massive statewide crackdown against the supporters of the Waris Punjab De on March 18, arresting over 100 people and detaining nearly 500 others. However, 30-year-old Amritpal, who openly talks about the creation of Khalistan, is still on the run.

He is wanted by Punjab Police in several criminal cases, including spreading religious hatred. Amritpal is named in at least four FIRs.

The Khalistan movement is a political and separatist movement that seeks to create an independent Sikh state called Khalistan in the Punjab regions of India and Pakistan.

How Amritpal escaped: On Saturday, the police chased Amritpal Singh, who was intercepted at the Shahkot-Masian road in the Jalandhar district. Seven individuals were arrested on the spot but Amritpal managed to dodge the police by getting into another car.

Though he was chased by nearly four dozen police vehicles, he managed to escape by navigating through narrow lanes. It was reported that at one point he even left his mobile phone in one car to mislead the police if they had been tracing his location.

Amritpal's uncle Harjit Singh and his driver from the Shahkot area have surrendered to the police. 

Why Punjab Police finally went after Amritpal: The calls for Amritpal's arrest gained momentum after his siege of the Ajnala police station on February 23, where Singh, along with his supporters, attacked the police station to get his close aide Lovepreet Singh aka Toofan released.

Lovepreet was arrested by Punjab Police in connection with abduction of Amritpal's former aide Varinder Singh, a preacher associated with Damdami Taksal (Ajnala), a Sikh seminary.

Singh’s supporters not only attacked the police, but they also took over the police station from where Amritpal even gave a speech.

Though Amritpal, who came from Dubai only last year started his secessionist campaign last year in August, shortly after the death of actor and political activist Deep Sidhu, it was after this incident that the state machinery got into action against him and his supporters.

'Was brainwashing youths to become human bombs': The security agencies had raised a red flag after intelligence inputs suggested that he was using drug de-addiction centres and gurudwaras for stockpiling weapons and preparing youths to carry out suicide attacks, PTI reported.

• The intelligence units reported that Amritpal returned from Dubai to India last year at the behest of Pakistan’s ISI, and he was brainwashing youths to become ‘khadkoos’ or human bombs.
• The weapons and ammunition recovered from his car bore AKF (Anandpur Khalsa Force) markings on them. 
• It was reported that the weapons were stored at drug-de addiction centres run by Waris Punjab De and a gurdwara in Amritsar.

What’s next: As the hunt for Amritpal enters the third day, Section 144 remains in the state.

• The Punjab Police has extended the curbs on mobile internet and SMS services till Tuesday. 
• The police have so fra arrested 112 persons associated with Amritpal Singh. 
• The police also conducted peace marches in different places. 
• A habeas corpus petition was also filed in the Punjab and Haryana court against ‘illegal detention’ of Amritpal Singh. The court on Sunday (March 19) issued notice to the Punjab government seeking its response in the matter.
• However, the Punjab Police has not yet confirmed the arrest of Amritpal Singh.