In the latest development in the case of Khalistani supporter Amritpal Singh, the Centre is reportedly taking over the investigation and is likely to treat it as a terror case. Singh and seven of his aides have been accused of possessing illegal arms and may be probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has jurisdiction over Arms Act cases.
Singh, who has been named “Accused Number One” in the new case, has been on the run from the Punjab police, who have been pursuing him for several months. In a coordinated effort between the Aam Aadmi Party-ruled Punjab, the Centre, and the BJP-governed Assam, Singh’s four top aides have been charged under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) and flown to Dibrugarh in upper Assam, where they can be detained in any prison across the country.
Sources say that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had discussed the plan to arrest Singh with Home Minister Amit Shah in a meeting on March 2. Meanwhile, the BJP has remained tight-lipped about the coordination between states governed by rival parties. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has described it as “police-to-police” cooperation, suggesting that the Punjab Police felt the prisoners should be held in Assam for a few days.
The arrests are part of a wider crackdown on Singh’s associates, with 112 people arrested so far, including 34 on Sunday alone. Several members of his ‘Waris Punjab De’ group have been detained for questioning, and Daljeet Singh Kalsi, the man who handles Singh’s finances, has also been taken into custody.
The case has the potential to hamper peace in the region and bring back painful memories of the state’s troubled past. However, the Centre’s increasing involvement suggests a determination to resolve the issue and bring those responsible to justice.
