How fugitive preacher Amritpal Singh outran cops during the chase?

Jalandhar DIG Swapan Sharma has opened up on Saturday's chase where fugitive preacher Amritpal Singh managed to outrun cops.

Talking about the chase, he said, "We were directed to nab him (Amritpal Singh), while chasing he ended up on a one-lane link road ahead of us. While outrunning us he crashed into 5-6 motorbike riders, some were with the motive to divert us from the chase,"

During the chase, the radical preacher changed his routes several times and reached a one-lane link road of 12 to 13km. The DIG also stated that there were four members in his car and all four are not traceable.

Going by the reports, Amritpal Singh also changed vehicles and threw away his mobile during the chase.

The Punjab government had on Saturday launched a major crackdown against Amritpal, with police arresting 78 members of an outfit headed by him, officials said.

The elusive preacher himself, however, gave the police a slip and escaped their dragnet when his cavalcade was intercepted in Jalandhar district, according to a report in PTI. As the operation went underway, authorities stepped up security at several places and suspended internet and SMS services.

Police on Saturday launched a "massive state-wide cordon and search operations (CASO)" in the state against the members of the 'Waris Punjab De' group, headed by Singh, against whom several criminal cases have been registered.

Seventy-eight persons have been arrested so far, while several others have been detained for questioning, they said.

The police action came a day ahead of the start of Amritpal Singh's 'Khalsa Wahir' - a religious procession - which was to start from Muktsar district.

During their state-wide operation, police seized one .315 bore rifle, seven 12 bore rifles, one revolver, and 373 live cartridges of different caliber, they said.

The officer said Harminder Singh was caught with a weapon and 139 cartridges. During questioning, he told police that Amritpal had procured these cartridges through another person named Gurbhej.

Asked whether "any cross-border connection" has come to the fore during their investigation, the SSP said, "I will not be able to comment on this now as investigations are under progress." "We are trying to arrest him and we are hopeful of arresting him," he said.

Asked why it took them so long to register an FIR in the Ajnala incident, SSP said "the FIR was registered the very next day. How we have to act is our internal matter. We have to act keeping in view various things and we have been successful in this."

He asserted that the law and order situation is under control and peaceful in Punjab. "We appeal to the public not to lend ear to rumours." The SSP said Amritpal's house in his native village was also searched as part of the crackdown.

"Two MUVs have been recovered so far," he said. Police had on Saturday said that an operation was launched to nab Amritpal and his supporters for being involved in four criminal cases relating to spreading disharmony among classes, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel, and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duties of public servants.

An FIR dated February 24 stands registered against followers of 'Waris Punjab De', an organisation headed by Amritpal, for the attack on Ajnala Police Station, police had said. Last month, Amritpal 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.

Meanwhile, seven people arrested in connection with the links to 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh was brought to court in Beas on Sunday and they have been remanded to police custody till March 23, says SP Amritsar Rural Jugraj Singh.