The recent arrest of two supporters of pro-Khalistan leader and MP Amritpal Singh – whose detention under NSA has recently been extended for another year – for allegedly planning to attack some top leaders has rung the alarm bells for the security agencies. A report by Rajesh Moudgil
The Punjab police arrested two supporters of Sikh outfit, “Waris Punjab De” (WPD), on April 21, last, and claimed to have busted a plot to attack some top political leaders including Union home minister Amit Shah, Union minister Ravneet Bittu and senior Akali leader Bikramjit Majithia.
The WPD is headed by pro-Khalistan radical Sikh leader and Punjab’s Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh, 32, who is currently detained in Dibrugarh Jail, Assam, under National Security Act (NSA).
For record, Amritpal Singh has been in jail since April, 2023 after he was booked for leading a large number of his supporters to Amritsar’s Ajnala police station on February 23, 2023, vandalising it and injuring several police personnel for the release of one of his supporters.
He fled the spot on March 18 after being booked under several charges and non-bailable warrants were issued against him. He was nabbed by Punjab police from Moga on April 23, 2023 following a month-long manhunt. He was booked under NSA and sent to Dibrugarh jail along with his aides from where fought and won the Lok Sabha election with a massive margin in 2024.
The alleged recent plot to attack the senior leaders by Amritpal’s supporters came to light after some leaked screenshots of their chat on a WhatsApp group went viral on social media about two weeks ago, ringing alarm across security agencies.
Stating that a case has been registered at the Cyber Crime police station in Moga, the police said that the two accused have been identified as Balkar Singh of Khanna and Pawandeep Singh of Moga, while another accused named in the FIR is Lakhdeep Singh of Bathinda. Police held that the alleged screenshots and audio recordings related to the plot to attack the leaders have been shared with the concerned security agencies.
According to police, the WhatsApp group in which the said plot was allegedly discussed, has 600 members and that the group members discussed plans to avenge the extension of Amritpal Singh detention under NSA. They also discussed details of foreign funding and arms procurement.
In fact, the matter was also brought before the media after senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Majithia briefed the newspersons in the context and demanded arrest of members of the WhatsApp group.
