Assam police hand over 7 NSA detainees to Punjab police

Three more detainees, including pro-Khalistan activist and Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh, are likely to be transferred from Dibrugarh next month, officials said

Silchar: The Assam police have handed over seven detainees under the National Security Act (NSA) who were lodged in Assam’s Dibrugarh Central Jail, to the Punjab police, and they are likely to be airlifted to their state on Thursday, said officials familiar with the matter.

Amritpal Singh and nine of his associates were arrested in Punjab in February and March 2023 in connection with the 2023 attack on Amritsar’s Ajnala police station. (Representational image)

Three more detainees, including pro-Khalistan activist and Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh, are likely to be transferred from Dibrugarh next month, officials said.

Amritpal Singh and nine of his associates were arrested in Punjab in February and March 2023 in connection with the 2023 attack on Amritsar’s Ajnala police station. Later they were shifted to a special cell of Assam’s Dibrugarh Central Jail. Last year, Amritpal became a member of Parliament (MP) by contesting the Lok Sabha election from Khadoor Sahib seat but he was not released from jail.

According to Assam police officials, a 25-member team of Punjab the Police reached Assam on Monday and sought transit remand for the seven detainees.

The process of granting the transit remand by a district court took three days, a senior police officer from Dibrugarh district said.

Four detainees-- Gurmeet Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Daljit Singh Kalsi and Basant Singh-- were handed over to the Punjab police on Monday and Tuesday while three others-- Kulwant Singh, Harjeet Singh, and Gurinder Pal Singh-- were handed over On Wednesday.

The Punjab police team, led by senior officer Harinder Singh Gill, are now processing the judicial transfer. They will be produced before the court in Amritsar district.