Centre all set to step in to probe Amritpal Singh and his activities

The NIA can probe a case once an FIR has been registered under the Arms Act.

With the Punjab police chasing down radical Sikh leader, Amritpal Singh, the Centre is all set to step and probe a case under the Arms Act.

The Punjab Police in its latest FIR has booked Amritpal Singh and his followers under the Arms Act. When a case is filed under this act the Centre can with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe the case.

In another development, four of Amritpal's aides were arrested and flown to Dubrugarh, Assam. They have been charged under the National Security Act (NSA), which allows the police to detain suspects in any prison across the country.

The top mission was carried out by the Punjab and Assam government along with the Centre. An aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was used to ferry these accused persons.

Assam chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma said that it was just a police-to-police cooperation.

"There were arrests in Assam as well when we sent people to Bihar's Bhagalpur jail for security reasons. Maybe, the Punjab Police feels that prisoners should be held in Assam for a few days, "Sarma said.

The action comes in the wake of Punjab Chief Minister, Bhagwant Mann holding discussions with Union Home Minister, Amit Shah on March 2.

The Punjab Police launched a massive manhunt for Amritpal Singh. He has however managed to evade arrest. The police have so far detained 112 of his associates. One of the key arrests is that of Daljeet Singh Kalsi, the man who handles the accounts of the organisation Waris Punjab De, which Amritpal heads.

Kalsi is an open proponent of the Khalistan movement. He was the same person who had led a delegation in Canada to submit a memorandum to the Pakistan High Commission against India.

The Intelligence agencies have for long warned that the ISI has been funding and nurturing this movement. The ISI hopes to keep both Kashmir and Punjab on the boil and has even roped in top leaders of the Jaish-e-Mohammad to oversee this.

Since the breakdown of militancy in Punjab, several Khalistan terrorists have sought protection in Pakistan, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and the United States. Sitting abroad the likes of the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) have sought to breathe life into the movement and have run many online propaganda programmes.