New Delhi: A 10-member delegation comprising family members of jailed Khalistani sympathisers who are lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail arrived in Assam's Dibrugarh on Thursday. However, no family member of Waris Punjab De chief ánd radical preacher Amritpal Singh was part of the 10-member group.
Bhagwant Singh Sialka, an eminent lawyer and executive member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), led the delegation to Dibrugarh to meet the Khalistani sympathisers in the jail.
Currently, 10 'Waris Punjab De' members, including Amritpal Singh, are lodged in the high-security jail. All of them are booked under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).
Amritpal Singh was arrested on April 23 after evading the police for over a month since March 18. According to ABP News sources, seven cases have been registered against Amritpal, for remarks against PM Modi, then CM Mann, Ajnala, and more.
A case of extortion and kidnapping has also been registered against him.
The imprisoned Khalistani sympathisers whose relatives have reached Assam include Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, Varinder Singh Johal, Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, Harjit Singh, Bhagwant Singh Bajeke, Basant Singh, Gurinderpal Singh, and Papalpreet Singh.
Advocate Simranjit Singh, representing jailed Khalistani sympathiser Daljit Singh Kalsi, said, "We have challenged the NSA in Chandigarh High Court. For the people of Punjab, the NSA Act was used against Sikhs and later in NE states and J&K."
"After the arrest of our clients, they have shifted out of the jurisdiction. Supreme Court has given strict guidelines on human rights violations," he added.
"In this case, the District Magistrate gave approval to the Assam government within hours even though none of them has a criminal record?" he asked.
The downfall of Amritpal Singh and his associates began after the Ajnala incident when his supporters stormed the police station in Amritsar seeking the release of his aide and another Khalistan sympathiser, Lovepreet Toofan.