CHANDIGARH/LUCKNOW: A wanted accused in the 2023 Ajnala police station clash and Waris Punjab De activist Vikramjit Singh, along with Punjab-origin US citizen Manveer Singh Dhillon, were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police while allegedly trying to enter India illegally from Nepal through the Rupaidiha border in Bahraich district. A Punjab Police team has reached Uttar Pradesh and taken Vikramjit into custody after completing the required formalities.
The arrests came after a joint operation by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday evening. Security personnel intercepted an SUV during routine checking at the Rupaidiha Border Outpost and found that some occupants were carrying invalid documents or attempting to enter India without the required immigration clearance.
According to officials, Vikramjit, a resident of Punjab’s Rupnagar district, had been absconding for more than two years in connection with the February 2023 Ajnala violence.
During this period, he allegedly remained in hiding at various locations, including Mumbai, Rajasthan, Delhi and Udhampur, before escaping to Kathmandu about a year ago. Investigators believe he was living in Nepal under a false identity using forged documents.
Vikramjit was among the supporters accompanying Amritpal Singh, then chief of Waris Punjab De and now the MP from Khadoor Sahib, during the protest march to Ajnala police station in February 2023. The march sought the release of Amritpal’s aide Lovepreet Singh. Amritpal is lodged in Dibrugarh Jail in Assam.
Bahraich Superintendent of Police Vishwajeet Srivastava said both Vikramjit and Manveer were detained for entering India without valid travel documents. He said Manveer, a US citizen originally from Moga, Punjab, was attempting to enter India without a valid Indian visa, while neither of the two possessed the required documents.
A senior Punjab Police official said Vikramjit was travelling on a fake Aadhaar card. Uttar Pradesh Police have registered a case under the Foreigners Act.
Manveer’s American citizen wife and their child possessed valid travel documents and were granted legal entry into India and proceed to Lucknow after completing immigration formalities.
Three others—Suresh Kumar Pathak, Dilip Upadhyay, both residents of Rupaidiha, and driver Rahul Kumar—were also arrested for facilitating Manveer’s entry and arranging transport.
Police intercept SUV with occupants without papers
The arrests came after a joint operation by the Sashastra Seema Bal and the Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday evening. Security personnel intercepted an SUV during routine checking at the Rupaidiha Border Outpost and found that occupants carried invalid documents.
