Amritpal Singh Approaches High Court For Temporary Release To Fight Polls

The Punjab government on Friday informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that it had facilitated separatist and "Waris Punjab De" chief Amritpal Singh to file his nomination to contest the Lok Sabha polls from jail.

The separatist Sikh preacher, who is currently lodged in Assam's Dibrugarh Jail, had approached the high court on Thursday seeking temporary release of seven days to file his nomination. He plans to contest as an independent candidate from Punjab's Sri Khadoor Sahib constituency that goes to poll on June 1.

The state government also informed the court that two sets of nomination forms were already filled and signed by Singh and the process will be completed on Monday.

In his petition, Singh sought an order to be released so he could file his nomination for the polls before the deadline ends on May 14. He also sought directions to the jail authorities to make necessary arrangements for him to complete the paperwork including getting his photograph clicked and opening a new bank account.

"The petitioner is a citizen of India and an elector from Khadoor Sahib Constituency and therefore is qualified for contesting the elections," the petition said.

The petition also mentions that Singh's father Tarsem Singh has written letters to Punjab's Chief Electoral Officer as well as Amritsar's District Magistrate to provide guidelines for him to file his nomination.

Singh, in his petition, alleged that even though the Punjab poll chief had written a letter seeking necessary action to facilitate his nomination, the "State of Punjab and District Magistrate, Amritsar have deliberately not issued any further instructions in order to delay and make sure that the petitioner is not able to file his nomination to contest Lok Sabha Election."

Singh was arrested in April last year and detained under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) after his supporters barged into a police station in Punjab's Ajnala and clashed with police over the release of one of his aides.

Singh has styled himself after Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and was arrested in Moga after dodging police by switching vehicles and changing appearances for over a month.