Guwahati: Seven associates of pro-Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh were transported by air from Dibrugarh, Assam, to Punjab, marking a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings against them. The transfer occurred from Dibrugarh’s Mohanbari Airport, with the individuals being moved in two separate phases.
The initial phase involved the transfer of three individuals, followed by the remaining four in a subsequent flight. The exact number of individuals transferred at each stage remains undisclosed, as official sources have maintained silence on the specifics of the operation.
This transfer follows the re-arrest of the seven aides by the Punjab Police, immediately after their release from Dibrugarh Central Jail. Their initial release was necessitated by the expiry of their National Security Act (NSA) remand, as confirmed by officials on Wednesday.
A 25-member team from the Punjab Police, led by Superintendent of Police Harinder Singh Gill, had been stationed in Dibrugarh for several days to facilitate the transfer of Singh’s associates, who had been detained there for nearly two years.
Kulwant Singh, Harjeet Singh, and Gurinder Pal Singh were among those released on Wednesday upon the expiry of their NSA detention. However, they were promptly re-arrested by the Punjab Police in connection with a separate case and subsequently presented before a court in Dibrugarh to obtain transit remand for their transfer to Punjab.
In the preceding two days, Gurmeet Singh, Bhagwant Singh (alias Pradhan Mantri Bajeke), Daljit Singh Kalsi, and Basant Singh were also released and subsequently re-arrested under newly filed charges.
Amritpal Singh, who recently secured victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an Independent candidate from the Khadoor Sahib seat in Punjab, remains detained at Dibrugarh Central Jail. Papalpreet Singh and Varinder Singh Johal also remain in detention under the NSA, with their detention periods extending until June 2025.
The Punjab government has opted not to extend the NSA detention for the seven released aides, as confirmed by Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav. They will instead face legal proceedings related to the 2023 Ajnala police station attack case, where they are accused of various offenses, including spreading communal disharmony, attempted murder, assaulting police officers, and obstructing law enforcement duties.
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