4 arrested for helping radical preacher Amritpal escape: Punjab Police

Chandigarh, Mar 21 (PTI) Four people have been arrested for helping radical preacher Amritpal Singh escape, the Punjab Police said on Tuesday.

They helped him to escape in a car, and during their questioning, it came to the fore that he went to a gurdwara in Nangal Ambian village in Jalandhar, police said.

“There he changed his clothes, and wore a shirt and pant, and escaped along with three others on two bikes,” Punjab Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill said while addressing reporters here.

The Khalistan sympathiser managed to escape after changing his vehicle on Saturday when police had launched a crackdown against him and his outfit ‘Waris Punjab De’.

Manpreet Singh alias Manna, Gurdeep Singh alias Deepa, Harpreet Singh alias Happy and Gurbhej Singh alias Bheja have been apprehended for helping Amritpal Singh escape, Gill said.

The car has been seized, he said, adding that a .315 bore rifle, some swords and a walkie-talkie set were found in it.

Police also released four pictures of Amritpal Singh in different attire and appealed to people to help tracing him.

The IG further said efforts are on to nab the radical preacher. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is monitoring the situation and taking regular feedback from police officers, Gill said.

Police on Saturday had launched a major crackdown against radical preacher amritpal Singh and members of his outfit ‘Waris Punjab De’.

The elusive preacher himself, however, gave the police a slip and escaped their dragnet when his cavalcade was intercepted in Jalandhar district.