Amritpal Singh, a controversial Sikh separatist leader, surrendered to the police in the northern Indian state of Punjab on Sunday after being on the run from authorities for weeks. He is facing charges relating to disrupting communal harmony, attempt to murder, and attack on police personnel.
On Saturday, he was arrested from Rode village in Moga town of Punjab, marking an end to a weeks-long manhunt which saw eight of his aides already arrested. In an unverified video message reported by Indian media outlets, he claimed he was surrendering and would contest what he claimed were false cases against him in court.
Singh and his associates were booked under several criminal cases. One key associate and mentor, Papalpreet Singh allegedly has connections with Pakistan's intelligence agency. Amritpal Singh's rise in popularity in recent months riled Indian authorities as Mr. Singh appeared to be emulating Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale – a militant and leading figure of the Khalistan movement.
Amritpal Singh was arrested from Gurdwara Sahib Thakht Sri Kesgarh Sahib Anandpur Sahib before being flown to Dibrugarh in Assam where eight of his associates are currently held under the National Security Act (NSA). These include main aide Papalpreet Singh who has alleged ties with Pakistan's intelligence agencies.
The manhunt for Amritpal spanned several parts of northern India including Delhi along with states such as Punjab Haryana Uttar Pradesh Uttarakhand Police officials stated that efforts had been made by family members friends well-wishers help evade arrest wife stopped at Amritsar airport while attempting board flight London further questioning detained any involvement husband activities provided valuable information whereabouts
Punjab Police Chief Dinkar Gupta said during a press conference: "We have successfully apprehended Amritpal Singh, who has been on our radar for weeks. This arrest sends a strong message that we will not tolerate any attempts to destabilize the peace and communal harmony in Punjab."
The surrender of Amritpal Singh is seen as a significant blow to the separatist movement in Punjab. According to security experts, this development may lead to better intelligence gathering and help counter such extremist activities in the region.
While many questions still remain unanswered regarding his rise and connections with international agencies, one thing is certain: The Indian authorities have scored a major victory against radical elements by apprehending Amritpal Singh and his associates.