Another Amritpal Singh Aide Flown To Assam, National Security Act Invoked

One more alleged close associate of fugitive separatist Amritpal Singh was flown to Assam's Dibrugarh and taken to the Central jail on Monday. The accused has been identified as Varindar Singh alias Fauji from Punjab's Tarn Taran district, and the police have invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA), which allows detention up to a year without any charge, against him. Eight close aides of Amritpal Singh have so far been shifted to the Dibrugarh Central Jail, and all of them have been booked under the NSA.

According to reports, Fauji, a retired army constable, was the bodyguard of "Waris Punjab De" chief Amritpal. He had his arms licence issued from Jammu and Kashmir, which was cancelled following the Ajnala clash on February 23.

Varindar Singh was among the 10 gunmen who accompanied Amritpal at all times, police said.

Four Khalistan supporters -- Daljeet Kalsi, Basant Singh, Gurmeet Singh Bhukhanwala, and Bhagwant Singh 'Pradhan Mantri', were brought to the high-security Dibrugarh Central Jail on March 19, while three more members -- Harjit Singh, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, and Gurinder Pal Singh -- were shifted to the Dibrugarh jail on March 21.

Punjab Police have launched a massive manhunt against 'Waris Punjab De' members in the state, arresting over 100 people and detained several others.

A multi-layer security arrangement with CCTV cameras were installed in the jail. Security has been strengthened to thwart any adverse events.

A team of Delhi Police and Punjab Police on Friday launched a search operation for Amritpal in Delhi and its border in view of the possibility of him entering the national capital.

However, Delhi Police later said Waris Punjab De chief may have left the national capital.

On March 18, Punjab Police launched an operation against Amritpal and his aides. The crackdown came almost over three weeks after Amritpal's supporters clashed with uniformed personnel at the Ajnala police station on February 23, on the outskirts of Amritsar, demanding the release of one of his close aides, Lovepreet Toofan.