CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Police expanded its search for fugitive Amritpal Singh as it conducted searches at various deras across the state and other possible hideouts of the radical Sikh preacher. The police on Thursday arrested another aide of Amritpal, Joga Singh. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) said on Thursday that the convening of a sarbat khalsa (religious congregation) is the sole prerogative of the Akal Takht (highest temporal seat of Sikhs) Jathedar (high priest), after Amritpal Singh had sought such a meet to discuss issues concerning the community.
Sources said that deras in Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala are being searched besides small rooms set up near tubewells, shelter rooms for animals in several villages and residential premises. Also barricades have been put up in several areas and a thorough search of all vehicles was underway in Hoshiarpur district where some suspects had abandoned their Toyota Innova car in Gurdwara Bhai Chanchal Singh in the village following a chase three days ago.
This search can be expanded further to other districts because of the likely hideouts of the accused. Also security and checking on link roads will be beefed up. Sources in a dera said the police came today and asked for the CCTV footage from them. “There are around 100 small and big deras around the Doaba region of the state,’’ said a police officer.
The radical preacher has been on the run since a police crackdown on his outfit Waris Punjab De on March 18. He has appeared in two purported videos and an audio clip released on social media. Amritpal has asked the Jathedar to call Sarbat Khalsa. He also appealed to the Jathedar to take out a Khalsa Vahir (religious procession) from Akal Takht in Amritsar to the Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabu (Bathinda).
Meanwhile the SGPC stated that the convening of a sarbat khalsa is the sole authority of the Jatehdar of Akal Takht.