'Operation Amritpal': Four accused, who helped 'Waris Punjab De' chief escape, taken to court
Punjab, March 22: In the midst of the crackdown on 'Waris Punjab De' and the ongoing manhunt for its chief Amritpal Singh and his aides, the four accused who helped the Khalistani leader's escape were taken to court on Wednesday from the Shahkot police station in Jalandhar.
The four accused persons are Manpreet, Gurdeep, Harpreet, and Gurpej.
SSP Jalandhar Rural, Swarandeep Singh, said they escaped to a gurudwara and overpowered a Granthi, forcing him to give them clothes. He stated that they spent roughly 40-45 minutes there.
"When police chased them, they escaped to a gurudwara and overpowered a Granthi, forcing him to give them clothes. They spent about 40-45 minutes at the gurdwara. They asked for motorbikes to be arranged and escaped," he added.
"We have learned over the course of our investigation that they asked a man named Gaurav Gora for motorcycles. One of the motorcycles is registered in the name of his father."
The bike on which Amritpal fled was recovered by Punjab Police earlier on Wednesday, according to the Jalandhar SSP.
Amritpal was previously spotted in CCTV footage escaping in an SUV in Jalandhar on March 18.
"He is still on the run. We are making all efforts to arrest him. We're hopeful that we'll arrest him soon... It is difficult to say that. Punjab Police is receiving full cooperation from other states and central agencies," Punjab Police IG (Headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill said.
"A total of 154 persons have been arrested for disturbing peace and harmony in the state," he further said.
Previously, a local villager in Jalandhar stated that they learned on Tuesday that Amritpal Singh and his associates visited the village on March 18.
"We got to know today morning when the police came that Amritpal along with his associates was here in the village on March 18. He changed clothes at the local gurudwara, had food, and then went away on a motorcycle. Babaji who's being questioned by police now had admitted that Amritpal came here," the villager added.
On March 18, people of Jalandhar village claimed to have seen Amritpal Singh.
A CCTV video has also surfaced from the local villagers. Punjab police have not officially confirmed this.
The footage shows a car and two men waiting on a bike near a field. Another bike is parked nearby, and as the first bike moves with three riders, the other prepares to leave as well.
He further stated that the National Security Act (NSA) was used against Amritpal Singh.
- ANI
