Punjab Police on Wednesday again arrested Amritpal Singh, chief of pro-Khalistan outfit Waris Punjab De and MP from Khadoor Sahib, in connection with the 2023 Ajnala police station attack case after his detention under the National Security Act (NSA) ended at a jail in Assam’s Dibrugarh, lawyers said. He will, however, continue to remain lodged in the same jail.
Singh had been lodged in an Assam jail since April 2023. A 12-member special team of Punjab Police reached Dibrugarh on Wednesday. According to Singh’s lawyers, the team had already secured an arrest warrant along with a two-day police remand order.
“He has been taken into two days’ police custody by Punjab Police and will be interrogated at Dibrugarh Police Station in connection with the Ajnala case. After that, he will be brought back to Dibrugarh Central Jail,” Singh’s counsel Jasbir Kaur said.
Kaur said that further trial proceedings will be conducted through video conferencing from Punjab.
The arrest followed a recent order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which allowed the Punjab government to formally arrest Singh after his NSA detention expired while permitting him to remain lodged in Dibrugarh jail, citing law and order concerns if he is shifted to Punjab.
The case dates back to February 24, 2023, when Singh and his supporters allegedly entered the premises of the Ajnala police station in Amritsar district, clashed with police personnel and demanded the release of an associate. Several police personnel were injured in the incident.
{{/usCountry}}The case dates back to February 24, 2023, when Singh and his supporters allegedly entered the premises of the Ajnala police station in Amritsar district, clashed with police personnel and demanded the release of an associate. Several police personnel were injured in the incident.
{{/usCountry}}An FIR was registered under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including attempt to murder, rioting, assault on public servants and criminal conspiracy, along with provisions of the Arms Act. Charges were framed against Singh and around 40 others in the case.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Khadoor Sahib MP was taken to Dibrugarh Sadar Police Station from the central jail, with Assam Police providing security and logistical support during the transfer. His movement was carried out under heavy security, with an 11-vehicle convoy comprising Punjab Police, Assam Police and commandos.
Advocate Shyamal Seal from Dibrugarh said that the remand allows Punjab Police to question Singh regarding his role in the Ajnala incident and related activities, adding that after the two-day remand ends, the court will decide whether Singh will continue to remain in Dibrugarh or be shifted to Punjab.
Singh was granted parole in July 2024 to take oath as a Member of Parliament (MP), which remains his only appearance in Parliament so far. Despite being in custody, Singh contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an Independent from Khadoor Sahib and won by a margin of around 1.9 lakh votes.
According to Punjab Police records, Singh is named in over a dozen FIRs across the state, mainly related to violence and intimidation apart from the Ajnala case. He has also been named as a conspirator in the October 2024 murder of social media influencer Gurpreet Singh alias Hari Nau, police officers said.