Punjab cops release fugitive Amritpal Singh's seven pictures; Close watch on India-Nepal border

Punjab Police released seven pictures of radical preacher Amritpal Singh, including some in which he is not wearing a turban, to seek public help to nab the fugitive.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Police on Tuesday conducted a combing operation at gurdwaras, hotels and in areas on the Indo-Nepal border in Udham Singh Nagar district in search of Singh and his associates, who are on the run after the Punjab Police launched a crackdown against them.

Following information from their Punjab counterparts that Singh and his associates were trying to flee the country, the police launched a search operation in Uttarakhand, City Superintendent of Police Manoj Katyal said.

Intelligence agencies are also monitoring the situation. A close vigil is being kept on the India-Nepal border so that he does not escape to Nepal through here, the police said. The preacher managed to give police a slip after changing his vehicle on Saturday when police had launched a crackdown against him and his outfit 'Waris Punjab De'.

He was initially in his Mercedes vehicle but later switched to Brezza SUV during the police action. In a new photo that appeared on social media, Amritpal Singh could be seen riding pillion on a bike wearing a pink turban and black goggles, suggesting that he tried to change his appearance to get away from the eyes of police.

Accomplices arrested

Addressing the media here, Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill said the four arrested persons helped the fugitive escape in a sports utility vehicle. During their questioning, it came to the fore that Amritpal Singh 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," said Gill.

The IG said that the National Security Act has been invoked against Amritpal Singh and 154 people have been arrested so far as part of the crackdown.

Gill said the situation is completely peaceful in Punjab and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has been monitoring the situation and taking regular feedback from police officers. The IG said a protest by a group of Nihangs in support of Amritpal Singh near gurdwara Shaheedan in Sohana in Mohali has now ended and the road is open for traffic.  

(With inputs from PTI)