CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government has decided to extend the detention of Khadoor Sahib MP and radical Sikh leader Amritpal Singh under the National Security Act (NSA) for another year.
A senior government official confirmed that Amritpal’s detention will be extended next week and he will remain lodged in a jail in Assam's Dibrugarh. "The decision to extend Amritpal’s detention was taken after discussions between state and the central agencies keeping in mind security concerns. A notice in this regard is being issued to Singh who has been jailed in Dibrugarh in Assam since April 2023," he said.
Amritpal, 32, who is the head of the Waris Punjab De organization, was arrested at Rode village in Moga district on April 23, 2023, following a manhunt by Punjab Police. This came after his supporters stormed the Ajnala police station in Amritsar district on February 23, demanding the release of one of his accomplices, Lovepreet Toofan.
All nine associates of Amritpal, who were lodged in the Dibrugarh jail along with him in 2023, had been brought back to Punjab recently after the NSA was dropped on them in order to join the investigation into the attack on the Ajnala police station. The nine are Basant Singh, Bhagwant Singh Bajekhana, Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, Sarabjit Kalsi, Gurinder Pal Singh, Harjeet Singh, Kulwant Singh, Pappalpreet Singh and Varinderpal Johal.
The decision to extend Amritpal's detention was made by the state home department on the recommendation of the Amritsar District Magistrate. The DM’s recommendation is based on the report of the state police and intelligence wing.
"Amritpal was an exception because of some additional evidence that he continued to be a threat to the law and order of the state. The decision was taken after careful deliberation by the Home department, with the recommendation of the advisory board," said an official.