Amritpal's bid to escape India, Nepal declares him most-wanted

Radical Sikh leader, Amritpal Singh may have reached Nepal and the immigration department out there has put him on the surveillance list.

Amritpal Singh has been on the run since the Punjab Police launched a massive offensive on him last week. He managed to slip out of Punjab, reach Haryana and then sneak into Delhi.

OneIndia had reported last week that Amritpal Singh would look to get into Nepal and then make his way into Pakistan from where would run his propaganda to radicalise Sikhs in India.

After his plan was busted by the Intelligence Bureau, India had sent a note to Nepal asking the immigration department to put Amritpal on Surveillance. Although there is no official confirmation about the letter sent from the India mission, a report in the Kathmandu Post said that the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu had requested the government to arrest Amritpal if he tries to flee the country.

The report also confirmed that Singh is currently hiding in Nepal.

While citing a copy of the letter that the newspaper had accessed, the report said, "the esteemed ministry is requested to inform the department of immigration not to permit Amritpal Singh to travel through Nepal for any third country and arrest him if he attempts to escape from Nepal using Indian passport or any other fake passport under intimation to this mission."

To be sure, Amritpal has several passports in his name.

A state of high-alert had been declared along the India-Nepal border since Amritpal Singh was chased down by the Punjab Police.

In the conversations that the agencies have been able access, Amritpal is heard saying that he should do his best not to get caught. "If I am caught, it will be a major embarrassment to the him and the Khalistan movement," he was heard saying.

Amritpal Singh a mystery character before his descent into India is funded by the ISI in Pakistan. He took over the radical outfit Waris De Punjab, following the death of actor, Deep Sidhu.

The Intelligence Bureau has said that Amritpal would reach Nepal with the sole intention of being transported into Pakistan. This is however not the first time that a wanted criminal has tried using this route to get into Pakistan. Yasin Bhatkal of the Indian Mujahideen had tried using the same route, but ended up getting caught.

The Indian agencies have upped the vigil on the India-Nepal border since this issue broke out. There are 22 high-tech CCTVs in place of which a few use facial recognition software. Moreover the police in plain clothes have stepped up vigilance in the border areas as Amritpal was looking to enter Kapilavatsu in Western Nepal.

An official said that they are in close contact with the agencies in Nepal. The intention is not to allow Amritpal to enter Pakistan. He would end up becoming a bigger nuisance when abroad as he would propagate his ideology using online channels.