New Delhi: The Haryana police arrested a woman on Thursday in Shahabad for allegedly keeping the radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh and his associate Papalpreet Singh at her home in the Kurukshetra district, said an official, reported news agency PTI.
Another development was that the Punjab police said they had detained a man who was allegedly part of the radical preacher's private security team. Amritpal Singh's security was assigned to Tejinder Singh Gill, a Mangewal villager in the Khanna district of Ludhiana.
The woman who was taken from Shahabad in the Kurukshetra district, according to the Haryana Police, has been identified as Baljit Kaur.
"We have nabbed the woman, who harboured Amritpal and his associate Papalpreet Singh at her home in Shahabad on Sunday. The woman has been handed over to Punjab Police," Kurukshetra Superintendent of Police Surinder Singh Bhoria informed PTI.
Additionally, he stated that the woman knew Papalpreet Singh for more than two years.
According to officials, Papalpreet Singh had been closely collaborating with the radical preacher and is regarded as one of Amritpal Singh's mentors. He was seen driving the motorcycle Amritpal Singh was riding pillion on as he escaped the police's Saturday raid on his outfit.
In Jalandhar, the two-wheeler was found abandoned near a canal.
Social media posts have shown the fugitive using a variety of vehicles, including a Mercedes, a Brezza SUV, an Isuzu pick-up, a motorbike, and a motorized cart, to get away with some of his helpers. These photos and CCTV footage were also shared.
Punjab Police said endeavors are on to capture the outlaw evangelist and a few of his helpers and individuals from his outfit have been kept or captured.
They claimed that Gill, who was a member of Amritpal Singh's security team, used to post pictures and videos on social media showing weapons without a license. An FIR against him was enrolled under IPC Segment 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant).
Officials stated that Gill was also involved in the Ajnala incident and that the Ajnala police will pursue him separately as a result of their investigation.
Last month, a group of Amritpal Singh supporters stormed the Ajnala police station near Amritsar with swords and guns to get the release of a friend of the radical preacher. This raised concerns about the return of pro-Khalistan militants to the state that borders Pakistan.
Who is Amritpal Singh?
The 30-year-old's family is from Jallupur Khera, which is in the district of Amritsar, Punjab. Amritpal had been staying in Dubai since 2012, where his family reportedly operates a transportation company. Amritpal traveled to India and joined the farmers' agitation against the center's recently repealed farm laws over the course of a year. He returned later.