Who is Papalpreet Singh, brain behind Amritpal's escape

The man behind radical Khalistani activist Amritpal Singh's escape from the police dragnet is 38-year-old Papalpreet Singh.

Backgound of Papalpreet

Papalpreet Singh belongs to an agricultural family. He studied at a convent school and did a PG diploma, according to a report in the Quint.

He took to activism in his 20s and associated with Sikh Youth Front and Sikh Youth Federation (Bhindrawala). Apart from raising his voice for Khalistan, he had called for the release of jailed Sikh prisoners since 90s.

He came to limelight during 2015 Sarbat Khalsa when he read out militant Narain Singh Chaura's 'chargesheet' against the then Parkash Singh Badal government and by the end of his speech, claimed that "Khalistan is the only solution", the report noted.

In 2016, he joined Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) and campaigned for Simranjit Singh Mann in Barnala in the 2017 Assembly elections. However, Mann lost the battle and secured less than four per cent votes. Later, he quit the party.

Links with Amritpal

Papalpreet Singh is considered as one of Amritpal Singh's mentors who had been advising him on various issues. He is associated with the fugitive preacher closely since he returned to India last year and took over the reins of 'Waris Punjab De', an organisation founded by actor Deep Sidhu who died in a road accident in 2021.

Intelligence reports suggest that Papalpreet take instructions from the ISI to raise the bogey of Khalistan in Punjab and working to plunge the State back into the dark days of terrorism.

During Amritpal's escape, Papalpreet was seen driving a motorcycle with the former riding pillion. The two-wheeler was later found deserted at Phillaur in Jalandhar, according to a PTI report. It was on Papalpreet's instructions that Amritpal changed his appearance from a radical Sikh preacher to an ordinary person and finally abandoned the motorcycle at a canal in Phillaur.

As per the report, Papalpreet took the motorcycle arranged by Manpreet Singh and Gurdeep Singh, famously known as 'Manna and Deepa' who run local gangs in the State, and escorted Amritpal to a gurdwara at Nangal Ambian village in Jalandhar where he changed his looks, put on a pink turban and black goggles before fleeing.

A journalist who had interacted with Papalpreet Singh told the website that he does not have a mass following and he is not a man who is committed to one ideology. Papalpreet faces four criminal cases, include one under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and for the Ajnala police station incident.