Indian police arrest Sikh separatist leader
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Singh was arrested in Moga, Punjab, in the northwest of India, but will be taken to a jail in Assam.
(Web Desk) – Indian police claimed to have arrested alleged Sikh separatist leader Amritpal Singh, bringing to an end a massive months-long manhunt.
The news was announced in a tweet on Punjab Police India’s official Twitter account.
Singh was arrested in Moga, Punjab, in the northwest of India, but will be taken to a high-security jail in Assam in India’s far east.
According to CNN, Singh is a leading ideologue within the Waris De Punjab group, an outlawed separatist movement that seeks to establish a sovereign state called Khalistan for followers of India’s minority Sikh religion.
After #AmritpalSingh's arrest, Punjab Police urges people to maintain peace, verify news before sharing https://t.co/TTsdHQ9154
— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) April 23, 2023
Police have been searching for Singh since March 18, when he was accused of attempted murder, obstruction of law enforcement, and creating “disharmony” in society.
The manhunt has revived calls for an independent Sikh homeland in India’s Punjab state, stoked fears of violence, and revived painful memories of a bloody insurgency that killed thousands.
In March, while police searched for Singh, Indian authorities blocked internet access for about 27 million people in the state of Punjab, one of the country’s most extensive blackouts in recent years.
According to Indian media, Punjab Police on Sunday urged people to maintain peace and harmony and refrain from sharing any fake news after the arrest of Singh.
The police said details of arrest would be shared and the people should verify any news before sharing.
The police launched manhunt around three weeks after Amritpal’s supporters stormed Ajnala police station in Amritsar on Feb. 23demanding the release of one of his aides, Lovepreet Toofan.
Amritpal also declared a fugitive by police.
His two aides were from Mohali in Punjab in a joint operation by Punjab and Delhi Police on April 18.
