As the hunt for 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh enters the third day, his uncle and driver surrendered before the Punjab police last night, SSP Jalandhar Rural, Swarndeep Singh told the media on Monday, 20 March.
The development comes after four of Amritpal's closest aides were taken to Assam after being nabbed by the police.
Before his arrest, Amritpal Singh's uncle Harjit Singh in interview to journalist Rattandeep Singh Dhaliwal said that neither Amritpal or him are involved in any violent activities. He said that he fears Amritpal Singh might have been detained and could be among those taken to Assam.
"We were on our way for an event in Bathinda district. I was in the same convoy as Amritpal Singh We weren't stopped near Goindwal. Then at one point on the road, a truck was obstructing our path. I thought it is an attempt to prevent us from reaching the event. So, we tried to reach from another route. We didn't realise they were trying to arrest us. Otherwise we would have courted arrest," Harjit said.
"Somewhere on the route between Sultanpur Lodhi and Moga, I stopped and asked the police why they are stopping us. They didn't answer. So I went back to my vehicle. I was the only one in my car at that point. I haven't heard from Amritpal Singh. I just heard that he is detained," he added.
Harjit further said that he saw a video from Shahkot police station, which "seemed to be of Amritpal being detained."
"What's happening is an attempt to create a perception that Punjab is going back to the era of Kharkus (Khalistan militancy). It is being done to malign Punjab," Harjit said.
What Has the Police Said So Far
The police said that while the search operations for Amritpal are underway, it claimed to have recovered several arms and ammunitions from several members of 'Waris Punjab De' during the ongoing crackdown.
The ban on internet services across the state has been extended till 12:00 noon on 21 March.
Some key claims by the police so far:
A car used in Amritpal Singh's convoy near Nakodar in Jalandhar district has been seized.
One Kirpan and a .315 bore weapon with 57 live cartridges were recovered from it. The car was allegedly abandoned after use.
Seven people were arrested on 18 March and six 12-bore weapons were recovered from them.
An FIR under Arms Act has been registered against them, with Amritpal Singh as the main accused.
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