- Friday, April 26, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
Khalistani separatist Amritpal Singh, who gave the police slip on Saturday (18) following an intense car chase in Jalandhar district of Punjab and is yet to be caught, reportedly sought food and clothes from people at a gurdwara at gunpoint after escaping.
A massive manhunt launched by Punjab Police to nab Singh entered the fifth day on Wednesday (22).
According to a report by India Today, Singh visited the gurdwara in Jalandhar and stayed there for around an hour. He also changed his clothes and took a turban belonging to the son of the gurdwara granthi (ceremonial reader of Shri Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhism).
According to police, Singh used another person’s phone to call a person in Rewari in the neighbouring state of Haryana. He also asked some of his supporters to bring two motorcycles to flee.
Singh and his aides entered the gurdwara while a marriage ceremony was underway and the hosts mistook them as guests. Singh and his men allegedly threatened the family at gunpoint, the report added.
Police later found the phone that Singh used to call his aides. His car and clothes were also found abandoned and it was suspected that he might have fled Punjab. Some arms were also recovered.
The Punjab Police issued a lookout notice against Singh and the airports were alerted. Non-bailable warrants had also been issued.
Police in another northern state Uttarakhand were also keeping a close watch on areas near India’s border with Nepal. More than 150 supporters of Singh have so far been arrested.
Police personnel have expressed apprehension that Singh may disguise himself to evade arrest. On Tuesday (21), they released the fugitive’s photographs with or without a turban and beard for identification.
