Radical preacher Amritpal Singh arrested in Punjab

Radical preacher Amritpal Singh, who has been on the run since March 18, has been arrested in Moga on Sunday, the Punjab Police said.

The fugitive 'Waris Punjab De' chief is now being shifted to Assam's Dibrugarh where his eight close aides are held, a senior police officer told PTI.

"He is an NSA subject and will be taken to Dibrugarh," the news agency quoted the officer as saying. The Punjab Police has already invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against the radical preacher.

Amritpal Singh addressed a gathering at a Gurdwara in Rode village of Moga district before his arrest.

The cops have also appealed to people to "maintain peace and harmony" while requesting not to spread "fake news".

#WATCH | Earlier visuals of Waris Punjab Des #AmritpalSingh at Gurudwara in Moga, Punjab.

He was arrested by Punjab Police from Moga this morning and is likely to be shifted to Dibrugarh, Assam. pic.twitter.com/2HMxTr50s7

— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023

On Saturday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the radical preacher might be arrested soon. "It may happen sometime. Earlier he used to roam freely, but now he cannot carry on with his activities," Shah said.

#WATCH | Outside visuals from Rodewal Gurudwara in Moga, Punjab from where Waris Punjab Des #AmritpalSingh was arrested by Punjab Police today. pic.twitter.com/gHtlARqarn

— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023

Days ago, his wife Kirandeep Kaur was detained by the Punjab police at Shri Guru Dass International Airport in Amritsar, when she was trying to board a flight to London.

#WATCH | Punjab: Waris Punjab Des #AmritpalSingh brought to Air Force Station, Bathinda by Punjab Police. He was arrested from Moga earlier this morning. pic.twitter.com/mbjziJEb3N

— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2023

Police had launched a major crackdown against Amritpal Singh and members of 'Waris Punjab De' on March 18. However, the radical preacher gave the police a slip and escaped their dragnet when his cavalcade was intercepted in the Jalandhar district.

The Punjab cops launched the manhunt after Amritpal Singh and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and barged into the Ajnala Police Station on the outskirts of the Amritsar city, clashing with police for the release of one of Amritpal's aide in February.

Last month, the Punjab Police declared him a fugitive and issued a lookout circular (LOC) and non-bailable warrant (NBW) against him.

A follower of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, killed in the infamous Operation Blue Star in June 1984, Singh had returned to India from Dubai in August 2022 after quitting his job as a lorry driver. Since then he has styled himself on the lines of Bhindranwale and has been seeking a separate Khalistan nation.