Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh’s personal gunman was arrested on Thursday by Tarn Taran police for allegedly glorifying gun culture.
Varinder Singh Johal of Johal Raju Singh Wala village was arrested a day after his purported video, in which he is seen firing from a pump action gun, went viral, police said.
The viral video, initially posted as a reel of nine seconds on Facebook from an account named after Harpreet Singh, shows Varinder in a Nihang Singh outfit while standing on a rooftop with a pump action gun in his hands. In the purported video clip, Varinder is seen firing three back to back shots. Varinder was booked on Wednesday under Section 336 (Act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 25-54-59 of the Arms Act at Patti Sadar police station.
The case was registered on the complaint of assistant sub inspector Darshan Singh of Patti Sadar police station. Patti Sadar station house officer Harjinder Singh said Varinder was sent to the judicial custody after being presented in the Patti court. “Our preliminary investigation has found that the weapon used in the video was licensed,” he added. The Punjab government in November banned the public display of firearms, including on social media, and songs allegedly promoting gun culture and violence.