News Analysis India

Tag: Khalistan

  • Russia Slams US For Alleging India’s Role In Pannun’s Foiled Murder Plot, Says ‘No Reliable Evidence…’ world news

    The Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday dismissed the US’s allegations against India for a foiled assassination plot against pro-Khalistan radical Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, saying that Washington has not yet provided any reliable evidence of Indian citizens’ involvement in the case. “According to the information we have, Washington has yet to provide any credible evidence of Indian citizens’ involvement in the planning of the murder of a certain GS Pannun.

    “Speculation on this topic in the absence of evidence is unacceptable,” said Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s official spokeswoman, during a briefing on Wednesday. She said that the United States does not understand the national mentality or the historical context of the Indian state’s development, and that it disrespects India as a state.

    Zakharova’s remarks came in response to a media question about Moscow’s reaction to allegations against an Indian official of a foiled “assassination” plot, and the American news publication ‘The Washington Post’ stating that India is attempting to do the same as Russia and Saudi Arabia. against its opponent.

    “I believe ‘The Washington Post’ should use the term “repressive regime” and everything you quoted about Washington. It is difficult to imagine a more repressive regime than Washington, both domestically and internationally. Now, directly to your question,” she added. .

    “Regular unfounded accusations by the US against New Delhi (we see that they falsely accuse not only India but also many other states) of violating religious freedoms reflect the US’ misunderstanding of the national mentality, the historical context of the development of the Indian state. , and disrespect for India as a state,” she stated.

    “This doesn’t just apply to India. The reason is a desire to destabilize India’s internal political situation in order to complicate the upcoming general elections. This is an example of interference in India’s internal affairs,” she said.

    In April, the External Affairs Ministry rejected a report in The Washington Post that named an Indian Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) official as being involved in the alleged plot to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States.

    Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), described the US media report as “speculative and irresponsible” and described it as an “unwarranted and unsubstantiated” imputation on a “serious matter” that is being investigated.

  • ‘Serious Issue…’: US Calls For Accountablity In Alleged Murder Plot Of Khalistani Terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun |

    New Deljhi: In a recent development that has strained diplomatic relations between the United States and India, a high-ranking US diplomat has labeled the alleged assassination attempt on Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Khalistani terrorist, as a “serious issue” for both nations. Donald Lu, the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, emphasized the gravity of the situation during a Congressional hearing focused on Pakistan’s election. 

    “This is a serious issue..We take it incredibly seriously, raised at the highest level with India. Encourage India to hold accountable those responsible”, Lu said.

    Lu pointed out that the US Department of Justice has implicated an Indian citizen, allegedly acting under the direction of an Indian government official, in a plot to assassinate Pannun on American soil. The administration is taking this accusation very seriously, and the matter has been escalated to the highest levels of dialogue with India.

    In response to this incident, India has established a committee to conduct a thorough investigation. Lu urged for a swift and transparent inquiry to ensure that justice prevails. The accused, Nikhil Gupta, is currently detained and faces charges of murder-for-hire.

    The US Justice Department’s indictment alleges that an unnamed Indian government employee orchestrated the recruitment of Gupta to hire a hitman for the assassination, which was ultimately thwarted by US authorities. This case has brought to light the complex web of international relations and the challenges of ensuring accountability across borders.

    Last December, Jon Finer, the US Principal Deputy National Security Advisor, acknowledged the steps taken by India to address the situation, including the formation of a Committee of Enquiry. 

  • EAM Jaishankar to meet US Secretary Blinken amid India-Canada diplomatic row

    By PTI

    WASHINGTON: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken here on Thursday, amid the diplomatic rumpus between India and Canada stirred over the killing of a Khalistani separatist.

    Although officials from both sides are tightlipped about the agenda of the meeting, the latest diplomatic crisis between two of America’s friends, its traditional ally Canada and India, is expected to come up prominently during the talks.

    “I don’t want to preview the conversations he (Blinken) will have in that meeting (with Jaishankar), but as we’ve made clear, we’ve raised this; we have engaged with our Indian counterparts on this and encouraged them to cooperate with the Canadian investigation, and we continue to encourage them to cooperate,” State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.

    Miller was responding to questions about the meeting between Jaishankar and Blinken at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department here on Thursday afternoon (which is about mid-night local India time). The two leaders are expected to pose for pictures ahead of the meeting and are not expected to take any questions from the media.

    ALSO READ | US ‘deeply concerned’ by Trudeau’s allegations against India: Blinken

    While the meeting between the two top diplomats was scheduled much before the Canadian crisis broke out, the US has been urging India to cooperate in the Canadian investigation into the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia early this year.

    Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has alleged that the Indian government was behind the killing of Nijjar, 45, outside a gurdwara in Surrey in British Columbia on June 18.

    India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.

    India has rejected the allegations as “absurd” and “motivated” and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa’s expulsion of an Indian official.

    India has also asked Canada to crack down on terrorists and anti-India elements operating from its soil and suspended visa services for Canadians.

    OPINION | The Canadistan conundrum: Whose hand is it anyway?

    Miller said that the issue did not come up for discussion in New York during the Quad ministerial that involved foreign ministers of the US, India, Japan and Australia.

    “It was a meeting of a number of countries and it did not come up in that meeting. But we have engaged with our Indian counterparts on this issue and urged them to fully cooperate with the Canadian investigation,” the State Department spokesperson said.

    Jaishankar arrived in the American capital from New York after attending the annual General Assembly meetings of the United Nations on Tuesday.

    In addition to his meeting with Blinken, the external affairs minister is expected to have a series of meetings with senior officials of the Biden administration, review the progress made between the two countries after the historic State Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June and talk about other regional and global issues.

    The minister is also expected to engage with the diaspora and think-tank community and interact with leaders from the corporate sector.

    WASHINGTON: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken here on Thursday, amid the diplomatic rumpus between India and Canada stirred over the killing of a Khalistani separatist.

    Although officials from both sides are tightlipped about the agenda of the meeting, the latest diplomatic crisis between two of America’s friends, its traditional ally Canada and India, is expected to come up prominently during the talks.

    “I don’t want to preview the conversations he (Blinken) will have in that meeting (with Jaishankar), but as we’ve made clear, we’ve raised this; we have engaged with our Indian counterparts on this and encouraged them to cooperate with the Canadian investigation, and we continue to encourage them to cooperate,” State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Miller was responding to questions about the meeting between Jaishankar and Blinken at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department here on Thursday afternoon (which is about mid-night local India time). The two leaders are expected to pose for pictures ahead of the meeting and are not expected to take any questions from the media.

    ALSO READ | US ‘deeply concerned’ by Trudeau’s allegations against India: Blinken

    While the meeting between the two top diplomats was scheduled much before the Canadian crisis broke out, the US has been urging India to cooperate in the Canadian investigation into the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia early this year.

    Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has alleged that the Indian government was behind the killing of Nijjar, 45, outside a gurdwara in Surrey in British Columbia on June 18.

    India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.

    India has rejected the allegations as “absurd” and “motivated” and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa’s expulsion of an Indian official.

    India has also asked Canada to crack down on terrorists and anti-India elements operating from its soil and suspended visa services for Canadians.

    OPINION | The Canadistan conundrum: Whose hand is it anyway?

    Miller said that the issue did not come up for discussion in New York during the Quad ministerial that involved foreign ministers of the US, India, Japan and Australia.

    “It was a meeting of a number of countries and it did not come up in that meeting. But we have engaged with our Indian counterparts on this issue and urged them to fully cooperate with the Canadian investigation,” the State Department spokesperson said.

    Jaishankar arrived in the American capital from New York after attending the annual General Assembly meetings of the United Nations on Tuesday.

    In addition to his meeting with Blinken, the external affairs minister is expected to have a series of meetings with senior officials of the Biden administration, review the progress made between the two countries after the historic State Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June and talk about other regional and global issues.

    The minister is also expected to engage with the diaspora and think-tank community and interact with leaders from the corporate sector.

  • NIA raids 53 places across country, detains suspects connected to Canada-based gangsters

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted raids at 53 locations in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Chandigarh and detained several suspects connected to a bunch of Canada-based gangsters.

    The gangsters include Arsh Dalla, Lawrence Bishnoi, Sukha Duneke, Harry Maur, Narender alias Lali, Kala Jatheri, and Deepak Tinu. 

    Pistols, ammunition, digital devices, and materials were seized during the day-long raids.

    These were the seventh in the series of such crackdowns launched by NIA following the registration of five cases since August 2022.

    The cases relate to conspiracies of targeted killings, funding for pro-Khalistan outfits, and extortion by the gangsters.

    Wednesday’s action focused on weapon suppliers, financiers and logistics providers associated with various gangs working with drug smugglers and terror outfits based in Pakistan, the UAE, Canada, Portugal and other countries.

    NIA probe revealed that conspiracies were hatched in jails of different states and were executed by a network of operatives based abroad. 

    READ MORE | 

    NIA crackdown on terror-gangster-smuggler nexus; several detained after raids in 5 states, 2 UTs

    Sukhdool Singh killing fallout: Punjab Police launch offensive on aides of wanted gangsters

    CHANDIGARH: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted raids at 53 locations in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Chandigarh and detained several suspects connected to a bunch of Canada-based gangsters.

    The gangsters include Arsh Dalla, Lawrence Bishnoi, Sukha Duneke, Harry Maur, Narender alias Lali, Kala Jatheri, and Deepak Tinu. 

    Pistols, ammunition, digital devices, and materials were seized during the day-long raids.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    These were the seventh in the series of such crackdowns launched by NIA following the registration of five cases since August 2022.

    The cases relate to conspiracies of targeted killings, funding for pro-Khalistan outfits, and extortion by the gangsters.

    Wednesday’s action focused on weapon suppliers, financiers and logistics providers associated with various gangs working with drug smugglers and terror outfits based in Pakistan, the UAE, Canada, Portugal and other countries.

    NIA probe revealed that conspiracies were hatched in jails of different states and were executed by a network of operatives based abroad. 

    READ MORE | 

    NIA crackdown on terror-gangster-smuggler nexus; several detained after raids in 5 states, 2 UTs

    Sukhdool Singh killing fallout: Punjab Police launch offensive on aides of wanted gangsters

  • Ensure security of India’s diplomatic missions, EAM Jaishankar tells UK minister

    ENS & Agencies

    NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishanakr on Monday told visiting British Minister Lord Tariq Ahmad that Britain was obliged to ensure the security of India’s diplomatic missions in the UK and prevent misuse of democratic freedoms.

    “Met with UK MOS Lord @tariqahmadbt today in New Delhi. Discussed a broad range of issues, from FTA and South Asia to Indo-Pacific and G20. Underlined the obligation to ensure security of our diplomatic missions and prevent misuse of democratic freedoms,” Jaishankar said in a tweet after his meeting with Lord Ahmad.

    Jaishankar’s assertions during a meeting with Lord Ahmad, the Minister of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, came against the backdrop of the vandalisation of the Indian High Commission in London by pro-Khalistan supporters on March 19. 

    In April, the Union Home Ministry had handed over the probe in the case of attack on the Indian mission in London to the National Investigation Agency after a meeting with representatives from Britain.

    Jaishankar said he also discussed a broad range of issues ranging from the Free Trade Agreement and South Asia to Indo-Pacific and G20 with the visiting minister.

    Meanwhile, Lord Ahmad said that India and UK share a long friendship and common values. 

    “Delighted to meet with my dear friend Dr Jaishankar in Delhi. We discussed the importance of strengthening of our long-standing bilateral relations and progressing the FTA,” he tweeted.

    “Building on the 2030 Roadmap for India-UK future relations, we are deepening our collaboration on science, technology, bringing new innovations to both our nations,” said Lord Ahmad.

    During the course of the day, Ahmad also met Foreign Secretary, Vinay Mohan Kwatra and G20 chief coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla amongst others.

    Ahmad will now head to Hyderabad after visiting Jodhpur and New Delhi as part of his ongoing tour of the nation.

    India and the UK have been negotiating an FTA since January last year, with a goal towards a comprehensive pact that is expected to significantly enhance the bilateral trading relationship worth an estimated GBP 34 billion in 2022.

    According to UK government statistics, India was the UK’s 12th largest trading partner in the four quarters to the end of Q3 2022, accounting for 2.1 per cent of total UK trade.

    (With additional inputs from PTI)

    NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishanakr on Monday told visiting British Minister Lord Tariq Ahmad that Britain was obliged to ensure the security of India’s diplomatic missions in the UK and prevent misuse of democratic freedoms.

    “Met with UK MOS Lord @tariqahmadbt today in New Delhi. Discussed a broad range of issues, from FTA and South Asia to Indo-Pacific and G20. Underlined the obligation to ensure security of our diplomatic missions and prevent misuse of democratic freedoms,” Jaishankar said in a tweet after his meeting with Lord Ahmad.

    Jaishankar’s assertions during a meeting with Lord Ahmad, the Minister of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, came against the backdrop of the vandalisation of the Indian High Commission in London by pro-Khalistan supporters on March 19. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    In April, the Union Home Ministry had handed over the probe in the case of attack on the Indian mission in London to the National Investigation Agency after a meeting with representatives from Britain.

    Jaishankar said he also discussed a broad range of issues ranging from the Free Trade Agreement and South Asia to Indo-Pacific and G20 with the visiting minister.

    Meanwhile, Lord Ahmad said that India and UK share a long friendship and common values. 

    “Delighted to meet with my dear friend Dr Jaishankar in Delhi. We discussed the importance of strengthening of our long-standing bilateral relations and progressing the FTA,” he tweeted.

    “Building on the 2030 Roadmap for India-UK future relations, we are deepening our collaboration on science, technology, bringing new innovations to both our nations,” said Lord Ahmad.

    During the course of the day, Ahmad also met Foreign Secretary, Vinay Mohan Kwatra and G20 chief coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla amongst others.

    Ahmad will now head to Hyderabad after visiting Jodhpur and New Delhi as part of his ongoing tour of the nation.

    India and the UK have been negotiating an FTA since January last year, with a goal towards a comprehensive pact that is expected to significantly enhance the bilateral trading relationship worth an estimated GBP 34 billion in 2022.

    According to UK government statistics, India was the UK’s 12th largest trading partner in the four quarters to the end of Q3 2022, accounting for 2.1 per cent of total UK trade.

    (With additional inputs from PTI)

  • Amritpal’s aide Daljit Kalsi detained under NSA after due process of law: Punjab govt tells HC

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government told the high court here on Tuesday that Amritpal Singh aide Daljit Singh Kalsi, who has been detained under the NSA, was helping the fugitive profess radical ideology and wage war against the State for a separate Khalistan.

    The government also told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that Sarabjit alias Daljit Singh Kalsi was detained under the National Security Act and the allegation he has been kept illegally is wrong and incorrect.

    He was after following the due process of law, the government added.

    The court was hearing petitions, including of Kalsi’s wife, who has alleged her husband has been illegally confined by Punjab Police and sent to Dibrugarh central jail in Assam without a valid reason and proper procedure.

    Relatives of other NSA detainees in the Amritpal Singh case — Gurmit Singh, Kulwant Singh, Varinder Singh Fauji, Bhagwant Singh (alias Pradhanmantri Bajeke) and Basant Singh — have also petitioned the court to quash the detention orders.

    These people were detained during a police crackdown on pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh and his aides that began on March 18 in Jalandhar.

    ALSO READ | Radical preacher Amritpal Singh’s aide Papalpreet lodged in Dibrugarh jail

    Counsel Simranjit Singh, representing Kalsi’s wife, said the Punjab government filed its reply to her petition on Tuesday while the Union government has sought time to file its response.

    The next date for hearing has been fixed for April 24, he said.

    The Punjab government filed its reply as an affidavit of Amritsar (Rural) Senior Superintendent of Police Satinder Singh.

    According to the affidavit, the petition filed by Kalsi’s wife was not maintainable because she cannot seek relief under a criminal writ petition or habeas corpus (the requirement that an arrested person be brought before a judge) as the same has limited scope.

    Daljit Singh Kalsi has been detained under the NSA after following the due process of law and is presently lodged in central jail in Assam, the state government said in its reply.

    “Kalsi was actively supporting Amritpal in his activities and was himself indulging in activities which are prejudicial to the security of the state as well as to the maintenance of public law and order. Kalsi has been supporting Amritpal in professing radical ideology and raised the demand of secession of Punjab from India by violent means. He also had been supporting Amritpal actively abetting/instigating/provoking/motivating/ conspiring to wage war against the state for a separate nation by name of Khalistan,” said the affidavit.

    ALSO READ:

    Akal Takht rules out Amritpal meet on Baisakhi day

    Will soon appear before world, says Amritpal Singh in new video

    Amritpal Singh aka ‘Bhindranwale 2.0’: Radical preacher and Khalistan sympathiser

    INTERVIEW | An armed struggle is always the last option, if it is imposed on us: Amritpal

    The court was told that Kalsi had made a representation against the detention order on March 24 and it was rejected by the competent authority in the state government, which found it without merit.

    The case has been referred to the advisory board on April 1 as required under Section 10 of the NSA and is now under consideration of the advisory board, said the affidavit.

    The affidavit also stated that the information regarding detention of Kalsi, including the date and place of detention, was duly informed to his wife on her mobile number by the Ajnala police.

    The allegation that Kalsi has been kept illegally and without following the procedure of law is wrong and incorrect, it added.

    Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh, who is yet to be nabbed, escaped the police net in Jalandhar district on March 18, switching vehicles and changing appearances.

    He and his associates have been booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants.

    CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government told the high court here on Tuesday that Amritpal Singh aide Daljit Singh Kalsi, who has been detained under the NSA, was helping the fugitive profess radical ideology and wage war against the State for a separate Khalistan.

    The government also told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that Sarabjit alias Daljit Singh Kalsi was detained under the National Security Act and the allegation he has been kept illegally is wrong and incorrect.

    He was after following the due process of law, the government added.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The court was hearing petitions, including of Kalsi’s wife, who has alleged her husband has been illegally confined by Punjab Police and sent to Dibrugarh central jail in Assam without a valid reason and proper procedure.

    Relatives of other NSA detainees in the Amritpal Singh case — Gurmit Singh, Kulwant Singh, Varinder Singh Fauji, Bhagwant Singh (alias Pradhanmantri Bajeke) and Basant Singh — have also petitioned the court to quash the detention orders.

    These people were detained during a police crackdown on pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh and his aides that began on March 18 in Jalandhar.

    ALSO READ | Radical preacher Amritpal Singh’s aide Papalpreet lodged in Dibrugarh jail

    Counsel Simranjit Singh, representing Kalsi’s wife, said the Punjab government filed its reply to her petition on Tuesday while the Union government has sought time to file its response.

    The next date for hearing has been fixed for April 24, he said.

    The Punjab government filed its reply as an affidavit of Amritsar (Rural) Senior Superintendent of Police Satinder Singh.

    According to the affidavit, the petition filed by Kalsi’s wife was not maintainable because she cannot seek relief under a criminal writ petition or habeas corpus (the requirement that an arrested person be brought before a judge) as the same has limited scope.

    Daljit Singh Kalsi has been detained under the NSA after following the due process of law and is presently lodged in central jail in Assam, the state government said in its reply.

    “Kalsi was actively supporting Amritpal in his activities and was himself indulging in activities which are prejudicial to the security of the state as well as to the maintenance of public law and order. Kalsi has been supporting Amritpal in professing radical ideology and raised the demand of secession of Punjab from India by violent means. He also had been supporting Amritpal actively abetting/instigating/provoking/motivating/ conspiring to wage war against the state for a separate nation by name of Khalistan,” said the affidavit.

    ALSO READ:

    Akal Takht rules out Amritpal meet on Baisakhi day

    Will soon appear before world, says Amritpal Singh in new video

    Amritpal Singh aka ‘Bhindranwale 2.0’: Radical preacher and Khalistan sympathiser

    INTERVIEW | An armed struggle is always the last option, if it is imposed on us: Amritpal

    The court was told that Kalsi had made a representation against the detention order on March 24 and it was rejected by the competent authority in the state government, which found it without merit.

    The case has been referred to the advisory board on April 1 as required under Section 10 of the NSA and is now under consideration of the advisory board, said the affidavit.

    The affidavit also stated that the information regarding detention of Kalsi, including the date and place of detention, was duly informed to his wife on her mobile number by the Ajnala police.

    The allegation that Kalsi has been kept illegally and without following the procedure of law is wrong and incorrect, it added.

    Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh, who is yet to be nabbed, escaped the police net in Jalandhar district on March 18, switching vehicles and changing appearances.

    He and his associates have been booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants.

  • Will soon appear before world, says Amritpal Singh in new video 

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: A day after daring the Punjab police to arrest him, radical preacher Amritpal Singh surfaced in a fresh video on Thursday, asserting he was not a fugitive and would soon appear before the world.

    The purported video surfaced hours after his audio clip came out on social media in which he debunked speculation he was negotiating his surrender.

    “Those who feel that I have turned fugitive and I have left my associates, they should not keep this illusion in their mind. I do not fear death,” he said in the video in Punjabi.

    “And soon will appear before the world and will also be amongst the ‘Sangat’,” he said.

    Police have stepped up security in and around Amritsar and Bathinda amid reports that Amritpal Singh may surrender after entering any of the two Sikh shrines – Golden Temple in Amritsar and Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in Bathinda.

    The pro-Khalistan preacher said he was not like those who would flee the country.

    “One has to face a lot during the days of rebellion. These days of rebellion are difficult to pass,” he said.

    It was his second video since being on the run amid a police crackdown on his outfit ‘Waris Punjab De’.

    The police action began on March 18, weeks after Amritpal Singh’s supporters stormed a police station in Ajnala, near Amritsar, to secure the release of one of his associates.

    The preacher escaped the police net in Jalandhar district by switching vehicles and changing appearances multiple times.

    In the first video, which appeared on social media on Wednesday, he asked the Jathedar of Akal Takht, the highest temporal body of Sikhs, to summon a congregation to discuss issues concerning the community.

    He and his associates have been booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants.

    CHANDIGARH: A day after daring the Punjab police to arrest him, radical preacher Amritpal Singh surfaced in a fresh video on Thursday, asserting he was not a fugitive and would soon appear before the world.

    The purported video surfaced hours after his audio clip came out on social media in which he debunked speculation he was negotiating his surrender.

    “Those who feel that I have turned fugitive and I have left my associates, they should not keep this illusion in their mind. I do not fear death,” he said in the video in Punjabi.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “And soon will appear before the world and will also be amongst the ‘Sangat’,” he said.

    Police have stepped up security in and around Amritsar and Bathinda amid reports that Amritpal Singh may surrender after entering any of the two Sikh shrines – Golden Temple in Amritsar and Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in Bathinda.

    The pro-Khalistan preacher said he was not like those who would flee the country.

    “One has to face a lot during the days of rebellion. These days of rebellion are difficult to pass,” he said.

    It was his second video since being on the run amid a police crackdown on his outfit ‘Waris Punjab De’.

    The police action began on March 18, weeks after Amritpal Singh’s supporters stormed a police station in Ajnala, near Amritsar, to secure the release of one of his associates.

    The preacher escaped the police net in Jalandhar district by switching vehicles and changing appearances multiple times.

    In the first video, which appeared on social media on Wednesday, he asked the Jathedar of Akal Takht, the highest temporal body of Sikhs, to summon a congregation to discuss issues concerning the community.

    He and his associates have been booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants.

  • India asks Nepal not to allow Amritpal Singh to escape; Nepal puts him on surveillance list

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: The Indian government has requested the Nepal government not to allow pro-Khalistan activist and chief of  ‘Waris Punjab De’ Amritpal Singh believed to be hiding in Nepal to flee to a third country. Nepal has been told to arrest him if he attempts to escape using Indian or any other fake passport. Thus, Nepal has put the radical Sikh preacher on their surveillance list. 

    The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has requested the Nepalese government agencies to arrest Singh if he tries to flee from Nepal. The letter and Singh’s personal details have been circulated to all the concerned agencies from hotels to airlines, as Singh is said to be possessing multiple passports with him, said sources.

    It is learnt that after Nepal received request from India embassy the Immigration department of the neighboring country  has put Amritpal on its surveillance. As it was suspected that he had entered Nepal and was hiding somewhere around.

    Meanwhile, the Punjab Police on Monday arrested yet another gunman of Amritpal Singh, Varinder Singh Johal alias ‘Fauji’ in relation to the Ajnala violence case.

    Johal who is a dismissed army jawan was arrested by the Tarn Taran Police as he belongs to Raju Singh Wala village in the district. The police have invoked the National Security Act (NSA) against him and he was then sent to Dibrugarh jail in Assam.

    Confirming his arrest, a senior police official said that the accused had been working as a gunman of Amritpal Singh for some time and is a dismissed Army jawan. He was on the run after the radical leader had vanished and was caught on Monday by the Tarn Taran Police and handed over to Amritsar (Rural) Police.

    Earlier Johal’s arm license issued from Jammu and Kashmir was cancelled after the Punjab government took up the matter with their J&K counterparts in view of the Ajnala violence. He was among the 10 gunmen who accompanied Amritpal all the time.

    CHANDIGARH: The Indian government has requested the Nepal government not to allow pro-Khalistan activist and chief of  ‘Waris Punjab De’ Amritpal Singh believed to be hiding in Nepal to flee to a third country. Nepal has been told to arrest him if he attempts to escape using Indian or any other fake passport. Thus, Nepal has put the radical Sikh preacher on their surveillance list. 

    The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has requested the Nepalese government agencies to arrest Singh if he tries to flee from Nepal. The letter and Singh’s personal details have been circulated to all the concerned agencies from hotels to airlines, as Singh is said to be possessing multiple passports with him, said sources.

    It is learnt that after Nepal received request from India embassy the Immigration department of the neighboring country  has put Amritpal on its surveillance. As it was suspected that he had entered Nepal and was hiding somewhere around.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Meanwhile, the Punjab Police on Monday arrested yet another gunman of Amritpal Singh, Varinder Singh Johal alias ‘Fauji’ in relation to the Ajnala violence case.

    Johal who is a dismissed army jawan was arrested by the Tarn Taran Police as he belongs to Raju Singh Wala village in the district. The police have invoked the National Security Act (NSA) against him and he was then sent to Dibrugarh jail in Assam.

    Confirming his arrest, a senior police official said that the accused had been working as a gunman of Amritpal Singh for some time and is a dismissed Army jawan. He was on the run after the radical leader had vanished and was caught on Monday by the Tarn Taran Police and handed over to Amritsar (Rural) Police.

    Earlier Johal’s arm license issued from Jammu and Kashmir was cancelled after the Punjab government took up the matter with their J&K counterparts in view of the Ajnala violence. He was among the 10 gunmen who accompanied Amritpal all the time.

  • Two people linked with SFJ held for pasting pro-Khalistan poster outside Patiala temple

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Four days after a pro-Khalistan poster was found pasted on the wall of the Kali Mata temple in Patiala, the Punjab Police on Tuesday cracked the case with the arrest of two people linked to the proscribed Sikhs for Justice.

    Patiala Range Inspector General of Police M S Chhina and Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Pareek said a poster of the SFJ related to the Khalistan referendum was seen pasted on the back wall of the temple on the night intervening July 14 and 15.

    Those arrested have been identified as Harwinder Singh, alias Prince, a native of Salempur Sekhan village in Shambu and currently residing in Rajpura; and Prem Singh, alias Prem, of Salempur Sekhan village in Shambu, said Chhina.

    Police have also recovered 13 posters of the SFJ, two mobile phones and a bike used for committing the offence.

    The pro-Khalistan group The Sikhs for Justice was earlier banned by the Centre for its alleged anti-national activities.

    Chhina and SSP Pareek said in Patiala that the entire investigation of this case was monitored by the director general of police (DGP) and various teams were formed to investigate the case.

    The IG said thorough technical investigations revealed that the poster was pasted by the Harwinder and Prem after some foreign-based anti-national elements lured them to perform such acts in lieu of money or through the offer of settling them abroad.

    The SSP said Harwinder Singh worked in Malaysia for over two years, where he came in contact with some anti-national elements and after coming back from Malaysia he was still in contact with these persons through WhatsApp.

    “One of the persons abroad contacted Harwinder Singh and tasked him with pasting these posters at various places in Punjab,” he said, adding that the foreign handlers sent him the money through money transfer.

    The posters were placed at a predetermined location, and were picked by the accused from that location, SSP Pareek said, adding that after receiving the posters and the money, the accused pasted the posters at four places, including the Cantonment area in Ambala, Aryan College in Rajpura, the Kali Mata Temple in Patiala and on a traffic sign board near Sheetla Mata Temple, Bahadurgarh in Patiala.

    Moreover, the accused had also written pro-Khalistan slogans using spray paint on an under bridge in Rajpura, he added, as per a police statement here.

    The SSP said the accused were constantly in touch with anti-national elements sitting abroad, who were guiding them about their further targets.

    “The accused had also planned to paste these posters at or near the sites of Independence Day programmes and other prominent places, including the DC office, Mohali, and some other government buildings in Chandigarh, Kasauli and Solan,” he said.

    Meanwhile, a FIR had been registered under relevant provisions of the IPC and under the Prevention of Defacement of Property Act at the Kotwali police station in Patiala.

    CHANDIGARH: Four days after a pro-Khalistan poster was found pasted on the wall of the Kali Mata temple in Patiala, the Punjab Police on Tuesday cracked the case with the arrest of two people linked to the proscribed Sikhs for Justice.

    Patiala Range Inspector General of Police M S Chhina and Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Pareek said a poster of the SFJ related to the Khalistan referendum was seen pasted on the back wall of the temple on the night intervening July 14 and 15.

    Those arrested have been identified as Harwinder Singh, alias Prince, a native of Salempur Sekhan village in Shambu and currently residing in Rajpura; and Prem Singh, alias Prem, of Salempur Sekhan village in Shambu, said Chhina.

    Police have also recovered 13 posters of the SFJ, two mobile phones and a bike used for committing the offence.

    The pro-Khalistan group The Sikhs for Justice was earlier banned by the Centre for its alleged anti-national activities.

    Chhina and SSP Pareek said in Patiala that the entire investigation of this case was monitored by the director general of police (DGP) and various teams were formed to investigate the case.

    The IG said thorough technical investigations revealed that the poster was pasted by the Harwinder and Prem after some foreign-based anti-national elements lured them to perform such acts in lieu of money or through the offer of settling them abroad.

    The SSP said Harwinder Singh worked in Malaysia for over two years, where he came in contact with some anti-national elements and after coming back from Malaysia he was still in contact with these persons through WhatsApp.

    “One of the persons abroad contacted Harwinder Singh and tasked him with pasting these posters at various places in Punjab,” he said, adding that the foreign handlers sent him the money through money transfer.

    The posters were placed at a predetermined location, and were picked by the accused from that location, SSP Pareek said, adding that after receiving the posters and the money, the accused pasted the posters at four places, including the Cantonment area in Ambala, Aryan College in Rajpura, the Kali Mata Temple in Patiala and on a traffic sign board near Sheetla Mata Temple, Bahadurgarh in Patiala.

    Moreover, the accused had also written pro-Khalistan slogans using spray paint on an under bridge in Rajpura, he added, as per a police statement here.

    The SSP said the accused were constantly in touch with anti-national elements sitting abroad, who were guiding them about their further targets.

    “The accused had also planned to paste these posters at or near the sites of Independence Day programmes and other prominent places, including the DC office, Mohali, and some other government buildings in Chandigarh, Kasauli and Solan,” he said.

    Meanwhile, a FIR had been registered under relevant provisions of the IPC and under the Prevention of Defacement of Property Act at the Kotwali police station in Patiala.

  • Pro-Khalistan slogans raised at Golden Temple on 38th anniversary of Operation Bluestar 

    By PTI

    AMRITSAR: Pro-Khalistan slogans were raised by supporters of radical Sikh outfits as well as that of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) at the Golden Temple on the 38th anniversary of Operation Bluestar.

    The marbled premises of the Golden Temple near Akal Takht, the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs, echoed with pro-Khalistan slogans.

    Many youths held banners and placards with ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ written on them.

    They wore t-shirts with the picture of slain separatist leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale printed on them.

    Pro-Khalistan slogans were also raised by activists of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) outfit led by former MP Simranjit Singh Mann, who was also present at the spot.

    He raised the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala and demanded justice for the family.

    Operation Bluestar was a military operation carried out in 1984 to flush out the militants from the Golden Temple.

    Elaborate security arrangements were put in place in Amritsar to ensure that the event passed off smoothly.

    Jathedar of Akal Takht Gyani Harpreet Singh, in his message to the Sikh community on the occasion, said Sikh preachers and scholars need to visit the border areas to promote Sikhism and apprise the youth about the rich Sikh tenets and history.

    He also talked about the need to fight the scourge of the drug menace which has afflicted many youths.

    The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the apex religious body of the Sikhs, displayed the bullet-ridden holy ‘Saroop’ (volume) of the Guru Granth Sahib.

    The ‘Saroop’, which was installed in the sanctum sanctorum at that time, was hit by a bullet during the military action in 1984.