Seven associates of radical preacher Amritpal Singh were produced before a court in Amritsar's Ajnala on Friday under heavy security. The court remanded them to police custody until March 25.
The seven individuals, who were previously detained under the National Security Act (NSA) and lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam, were released after the Punjab government decided not to reinvoke the NSA upon the expiration of their detention period.
However, they were immediately re-arrested by Punjab Police in connection with a 2023 attack on the Ajnala police station on the outskirts of Amritsar.
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav had earlier stated that the seven would face legal proceedings for their alleged role in the violent incident. The Punjab Police secured their transit remand from a local court in Dibrugarh and, following legal formalities, transported them back to Ajnala.
Also Read: Punjab MP Amritpal Singh granted leave, Centre tells HC
A 25-member Punjab Police team had been stationed in Dibrugarh for the past few days to facilitate the transfer of the detainees. These individuals, along with Amritpal Singh, had been imprisoned in Assam for nearly two years after their arrest in the wake of the Ajnala violence.
The seven individuals brought back to Punjab include Basant Singh of Daulatpura Ucha in Moga, Bhagwant Singh alias Pradhan Mantri Bajeke of Bajeke village in Moga, Gurmeet Singh Gill alias Gurmeet Bukkanwala of Bukkanwala village in Moga, Sarabjeet Singh Kalsi alias Daljeet Singh Kalsi of West Punjabi Bagh in New Delhi, Gurinderpal Singh Aujla alias Guri Aujla of Phagwara, Harjeet Singh alias Chacha of Jallupur Khera village in Amritsar, and Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal alias Kulwant Singh of Rauke Kalan in Moga.
Amritpal Singh, the chief of the 'Waris Punjab De' (WPD) outfit, and his nine associates have been detained under the NSA in Dibrugarh Jail since 2023.
Singh, who had been at the center of a police crackdown, was arrested on April 23, 2023, in Moga’s Rode village following an over a month-long manhunt. He had previously evaded authorities on March 18, 2023, by switching vehicles and disguising his appearance to escape a police pursuit in Jalandhar district.
The Punjab Police had initiated the crackdown after the February 23, 2023, Ajnala incident, in which Amritpal Singh and his supporters, some wielding swords and firearms, allegedly forced their way through police barricades and stormed the Ajnala police station.
The violent clash, aimed at securing the release of his detained aides, led to multiple charges against him and his followers, including spreading communal disharmony, attempted murder, assault on police personnel, and obstruction of public servants in the discharge of their duties.
Despite his incarceration, Amritpal Singh contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate and won from the Khadoor Sahib constituency, further fueling political and legal debates surrounding his activities and influence.
Also Read: Punjab police in Assam to transfer Amritpal's 7 aides
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