Punjab police arrest Amritpal Singh's close associate Pappalpreet Singh from Amritsar

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• Apr 10, 2023 | Dhupali Das

Radical preacher Amritpal Singh's close associate, Papalpreet Singh, was caught...

Digital Desk: Radical preacher Amritpal Singh's close associate, Papalpreet Singh, was caught and confined under the National Security Act, police said on Monday. 

Speaking to the reporters, Punjab Police Inspector General (Headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill stated, "He (Papalpreet) is Amritpal Singh's main associate. He was apprehended in Amritsar's Kathunangal area. Papalpreet has been arrested under the strict National Security Act (NSA), and six other cases have been filed against him.

Officials had earlier stated that Papalpreet was apprehended in a Punjab Police investigation that included its counter-intelligence wing. They further claimed that he was detained in Hoshiarpur.

Papalpreet, who has been recognized as Amritpal's instructor, is said to have communicated with Pakistan's ISI.

Gill has stated that Papalpreet will face additional legal proceedings. The police had been searching in various locations, including Hoshiarpur, for the duo who had been duping security guards since March 18, when police initiated a crackdown on the Khalistan sympathizer and his associates.

Papalpreet's arrest came just days after a CCTV video of him appeared on social media, showing him at a 'dera' (place of religious assemblage) in a village in Hoshiarpur.

The video is claimed to be dated March 29, a day after a counter-intelligence wing squad chased an Innova sedan from Phagwara to Hoshiarpur when police suspected the fugitive and his aides were in the vehicle.  

The 'dera' seen in the video is in the village Tanauli, which is only two to three kilometers away from Marnaian village in Hoshiarpur, where the police had launched a large search operation in search of the perpetrators. 

Both Papalpreet and Amritpal are thought to have split up in Hoshiarpur following the police chase of their vehicle.

Several photos of the duo had circulated on social media. In one such video, both of them can be seen wearing masks while walking down a street in Delhi. An image of them showing up relaxed and Amritpal carrying a beverage can was also seen. 

On March 18, a Khalistan sympathizer fled the police net in Punjab district by swapping vehicles and changing appearances.

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He and his comrades have been charged with sowing discord among classes, attempting to murder, assaulting police officers, and obstructing the proper fulfillment of public servants duties.