CHANDIGARH: Punjab gangster Amritpal Singh Bath, 33, who is wanted in nearly 20 cases in India, was arrested in Canada after a routine traffic stop, with Interpol also confirming his arrest.
Bath’s arrest on 8 October came after Surrey Police officers stopped a vehicle being driven erratically near Central Avenue and 134 Street in downtown Surrey, British Columbia. The officers had initially intended to check whether the driver was impaired.
During their interaction with the occupants, Bath, who was sitting in the passenger seat, identified himself as Harpreet Singh and produced identification in that name. However, Surrey Police spokesperson Ian MacDonald told local media that the identification ‘did not look genuine’, prompting the officer to investigate further.
A database check revealed that Bath was wanted under an Interpol Red Notice. The officers subsequently contacted the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), which took him into custody. He remains in CBSA custody.
MacDonald said the authorities had been unaware that Bath was in Canada. It remains unclear whether the driver knew his passenger’s identity.
Bath, the son of Satnam Singh, is a resident of Mianpur village in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district. He is also known by the name Harpreet Singh and is wanted in nearly 20 cases involving allegations of murder, attempted murder, drug trafficking, extortion and offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Arms Act. The allegations are yet to be adjudicated by the courts.
Bath is expected to be deported or extradited to India. Punjab Police officials have confirmed his arrest in Canada and said they have initiated the paperwork required to bring him back to India.
Bath is married to Kanchanpreet Kaur, who is associated with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Her mother, Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa, contested the Tarn Taran Assembly by-election in November last year as the SAD candidate. Kanchanpreet was also actively involved in her mother’s election campaign.