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‘Amritpal Singh may try to flee via Nepal’: India sends alert to Kathmandu

The Indian embassy asked the Nepal government “not to permit Amritpal Singh to travel through Nepal for any third country”

Published on: Mar 27, 2023, 20:56:13 IST
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The Indian embassy in Kathmandu has alerted the Nepal government that fugitive radical preacher Amritpal Singh could sneak into the country using a fake passport.

Singh has been on the run since March 18. (HT print photo)
Singh has been on the run since March 18. (HT print photo)

A note verbale or unsigned diplomatic correspondence sent by the Indian embassy to the department of consular services of Nepal’s foreign ministry and the department of immigration warned that Singh, the subject of a “Look Out Circular” in India, “may try to escape through Nepal on an Indian passport or fake passport of any other country”

The note verbale dated March 25, reviewed by HT, enclosed information on the “possible looks” and Indian passports that could be used by Singh.

It further included a brief description of Singh’s physical features, giving his age as 30 and his complexion as “fair wheatish”.

Also Read: Crackdown on Amritpal: 197 released so far, seven detained under NSA, say cops

The Indian embassy asked the Nepal government “not to permit Amritpal Singh to travel through Nepal for any third country”. It also asked Nepal’s authorities to “arrest Amritpal Singh if he attempts to escape from Nepal using [an] Indian passport or any other fake passport” and to alert the Indian mission in this regard.

Singh is the focus of a massive manhunt currently underway in Punjab. Almost 100 people have been arrested after Punjab Police launched a crackdown on Singh, chief of Waris Punjab De, and his followers. Singh is considered a proponent of the separatist Khalistan movement.

The crackdown has been followed by protests by pro-Khalistan groups in Australia, Canada, the UK and the US.

India has lodged strong protests with Canada, the UK and the US over these protests and the vandalisation of its diplomatic premises in these countries.

The hunt for the pro-Khalistani leader entered the tenth day on Monday.

Amritpal has remained untraceable since a Punjab Police crackdown against him and members of his ‘Waris Punjab De’ began on March 18.

In the latest development, a new picture of fugitive ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal with his key aide Papalpreet Singh surfaced on Monday on social media.

In the picture, it appears that Amritpal and Papalpreet are sitting atop a truck. Papalpreet is said to be Amritpal’s mentor. He was allegedly in contact with Pakistan’s spy agency ISI. In the photo, Amritpal is seen wearing a jacket, a maroon turban and sunglasses. Amritpal is also seen holding a can. His companion, sitting beside him, is in a sweatshirt.

  • Rezaul H Laskar
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Rezaul H Laskar

    Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More