Amritpal Singh: Sikh separatist arrested after weeks on the run

1 year ago 46

Waris Punjab De Chief Amritpal Singh responding to questions during an interrogation  astatine  colony   Jallupur Khera connected  2 March 2023 successful  AmritsarImage source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Amritpal Singh has been connected the tally since 18 March

Self-styled preacher Amritpal Singh, whose calls for Sikh independency riled India's authorities, has been arrested successful Punjab state, constabulary say.

The 30-year-old had been connected the tally for much than a period aft evading apprehension successful Punjab connected 18 March.

He and his supporters person been accused of attempted execution and attacking constabulary officials.

Punjab Police confirmed quality of the apprehension connected Twitter and appealed for peace.

Mr Singh changeable to prominence successful February aft hundreds of his supporters stormed a constabulary station, demanding the merchandise of an arrested aide.

His run brought backmost memories from the 1980s of a separatist insurgency and consequent crackdown successful Punjab successful which thousands of radical were killed.

The manhunt for Mr Singh spanned respective parts of bluish India, including the superior Delhi and the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Nepal had besides enactment him connected its surveillance database astatine India's request.

Amritpal Singh, who says helium supports the Khalistan question for a abstracted Sikh homeland, claims to gully inspiration from Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a preacher accused by the Indian authorities of starring an equipped insurgency successful the 1980s. Bhindranwale was killed successful the Indian army's storming of the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine successful the Sikh religion, successful 1984.

Police archetypal attempted to apprehension Amritpal Singh connected 18 March - thousands of unit were deployed and postulation blockades were acceptable up crossed the authorities to cheque vehicles.

But helium escaped successful a melodramatic car pursuit which was live-streamed by immoderate of his associates

In the days that followed, galore of his supporters were arrested and sent to a high-security situation successful Assam state. Reports accidental Mr Singh volition besides beryllium sent there.

Akal Takht, the ultimate temporal spot of Sikhs, had asked Mr Singh to surrender to the constabulary and co-operate with their investigation.

After the crackdown, however, it besides questioned the government's arrests and detentions of radical for their alleged enactment of Mr Singh and for Khalistan.

Sikh groups successful Canada held wide protests against the authorities enactment successful Punjab. Protests were besides held extracurricular the Indian High Commission successful London, wherever demonstrators removed the Indian flag.

In San Francisco, pro-Khalistan supporters vandalised the Indian consulate, calling for Mr Singh to beryllium freed.

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