Punjab cops rummage through animal shelters, deras to trace Amritpal

The Punjab police has expanded its hunt for pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh, who has been on the run for the past two weeks.

The hunt has been expanded to 'deras' and other possible hideouts of the Waris Punjab De chief in Hoshiarpur district, where some suspects had abandoned their car following a chase that began three days back.

Several media reports claim that Amritpal Singh's mentor, Papalpreet Singh may have gone on a different route since the Innova SUV he was travelling in got intercepted on March 28.

Singh has been on the run since a police crackdown began on March 18. He has however appeared in two videos since the crackdown, in which he made it clear that he has no intention of surrendering. He also called on a large gathering of Sikhs to discuss issues relating to the community.

In a bid to nab Singh, the police have placed barricades at all key points and a thorough search of vehicles is taking place in Marnaian and nearby villages, including Bibi Di Pandori and Bassi was underway, according to news agency PTI.

Police officials are also searching 'deras,' residential places, small rooms set up near tubewells and even shelters for animals in several villages. The Punjab Police said that they were maintaining a strict vigil.

Reports have also claimed that a close aide of Amritpal, Joga Singh has been detained, but the police officially denied the information.

In his latest video, Amritpal Singh claimed that he is not a fugitive and would soon appear before the world. In an audio clip, he is heard saying that he is not negotiating a surrender. He also called on the Akal Takht to summon a 'sarbat khalsa' congregation to discuss issues related to the Sikh community.

The police are also using drones to track down Amritpal's movements. This operation was probably launched too late, a report in The Tribune said.

Reports also say that Amritpal Singh may be alone at some location as the videos shot by him are in selfie-mode. His aides Joga Singh and Papalpreet had reportedly moved towards Sahnewal, where they are said to have stopped over at a Gurdwara.

The chase by the Punjab Police has gained much media attention. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had even pulled up the police for failing to nab Amritpal despite having force of 80,000 personnel.