Chandigarh: Punjab government on Tuesday told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that they are “close” to catching radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh. The court Justice N S Shekhawat was hearing the habeas corpus petition filed by advocate Imaan Singh Khara. In his petition, Khara has claimed that the Punjab Police had held Amritpal Singh, the head of the pro-Khalistan outfit 'Waris Punjab De' in “illegal custody” contrary to the police's claims that he remains elusive.
Khara, while speaking to reporters after the hearing said that Punjab Advocate General Vinod Ghai told the court that Amritpal Singh has not been arrested yet. The petitioner said the AG informed the court that they were close to catching Amritpal Singh. He further said that the AG told the court that they are coordinating with the agencies to nab Amritpal.
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The court has asked both the parties to file affidavits over their respective claims while posting the matter for Wednesday for next hearing. In its last hearing in the case on Mar. 21, the court had asked the Punjab government to file its reply on the plea. The petitioner urged the High Court that the police be ordered to produce Amritpal in the court to face trial.
The court had also slammed the Punjab Police for the intelligence failure in the operation against Amritpal. Justice NS Shekhawat asked the AG of Punjab government that if the government had made a fool proof plan for Amritpal's arrest, how he managed to escape. The court also questioned how it was possible that everyone except Amritpal Singh was arrested, but the Waris Punjab De gave slip to the police despite 80000 personnel on its disposal.
Punjab Police, which launched the manhunt to nab Amritpal Singh on Mar. 18 has declared the Sikh separatist leader as a fugitive. The Punjab Police has also invoked National Security Act (NSA) against him for the “anti-national activities”. While police have arrested many of Amritpal's aides, a high alert has been issued along the borders with Nepal amid intelligence inputs that he may flee to Nepal.
