Last Sunday, Reuters reported that Indian police had finally apprehended Amritpal Singh, a Sikh separatist who was at large for over a month. This arrest is seen as an effort to curb the attempt of creating an independent nation in Punjab which borders Pakistan.
The emergence of Singh as a strong influence in Punjab has resurrected conversations around an independent state for Sikhs, and rekindled fears of a resurgence in the violence that left decades of destruction and casualties in the 80s and 90s.
Amritpal Singh, the leader of ‘Waris Punjab De’, was arrested following a violent incident where he and his followers headed to a police station in an attempt to forcibly release an associate. They were armed with swords and firearms, causing alarm among authorities.
Law enforcement officers have charged Singh and his allies with attempted murder, interference with governmental operations, and inciting animosity. They mentioned that he had evaded them since the middle of March.
A police official declared that a disturbance in public order led to the arrest of this individual in the village Gurudwara based on the National Security Act. This act allows detaining someone without charges who are suspected of posing a potential threat to national security for up to one year.
As per the police, Amritpal Singh will be relocated to Dibrugarh in Assam, where a few of his associates are already serving time in prison.
