The mother of pro-Khalistan advocate and 'Waris Punjab De' organization’s head, Amritpal Singh, has been arrested. Police informed that along with Balwinder Kaur, Amritpal's mother, his uncle and three others have also been detained.
Amritsar DCP, Alam Vijay Singh disclosed that Balwinder Kaur has been sent to judicial custody. The arrest is precautionary. He also revealed that Amritpal's uncle, Sukhchain Singh, and three others have been apprehended as well.
Amritpal's mother's arrest occurred one day prior to the 'Awareness March'. There was a demand for the transfer of Amritpal and his nine companions from Dibrugarh jail in Assam to a Punjab jail. The march was set for the 8th of April from Takht Damdama Sahib in Bathinda.
Alongside Balwinder Kaur, family members of the other detainees had begun a hunger strike on February 22 near the Golden Temple in Amritsar. They maintained the strike would continue until Amritpal and the other detainees were transferred to a jail in Punjab.
The arrests have also sparked a political row. The Shiromani Akali Dal slammed the ruling AAP government in Punjab. Spokesperson Parambans Singh Romana condemned the arrests of Amritpal Singh's mother and others involved in the planned march.
Amritpal and his nine associates - Daljit Singh Kalsi, Pappalpreet Singh, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, Varinder Singh Johal, Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, Harjit Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Basant Singh, and Gurinderpal Singh Aujla - have been detained in Dibrugarh jail for nearly a year. They were all arrested last April under the National Security Act (NSA).
What is the full story?
Last year, on February 23rd, Amritpal and his organization ‘Waris Punjab De’ supporters attacked the Ajnala police station. Armed with swords and clubs, Amritpal and his supporters engaged in a commotion that lasted for eight hours. This turmoil was due to the demand for the release of Amritpal's supporter, Lovepreet Toofan.
Toofan had been detained by police on charges of kidnapping and assaulting a man named Barinder Singh. However, following the clash, police released him. A case was registered in the aftermath of this incident. Many of Amritpal’s companions were captured, but he managed to evade capture for several days.
The Punjab police had also imposed the National Security Law or NSA on Amritpal. He was arrested almost two months after the incident and has since been incarcerated in Dibrugarh jail. There are multiple cases registered against Amritpal.
