Even as Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh is absconding, the Punjab Police on Monday said National Security Act (NSA) is likely to be invoked against the  Waris Punjab De’ chief.

Addressing a press conference, Punjab Police spokesperson and Inspector General of Police (IGP) headquarters Sukhchain Singh Gill said since the NSA has been invoked on the five arrested associates of the radical preacher, Amritpal is also likely to be booked under NSA once he is arrested.

Advertisement

The police said the secessionist campaigner Amritpal was trained by Pakistani spy agency Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) in Georgia before coming to India and had close links with Sikhs for Justice (SFJ).

The police have initiated a probe to find out whether Amritpal was raising his private army, Anandpur Khalsa Force (AKF) after finding the abbreviation ‘AKF’  written on the entrance gate of the radical leader’s house and weapons seized from his supporters.

“We have strong suspicion of involvement of Pakistan’s ISI besides foreign funding. The accused were using hawala channels also. We have evidence that the accused were forming ‘Anandpur Khalsa Fauj’ (AKF) of close associates of Amritpal,” the IGP said.

Gill said while four of Amritpal’s associates who have been booked under NSA have been sent to Dibrugarh jail in Assam. The fifth person is Harjit Singh,  who is uncle of Amritpal, was also sent to the same prison in Assam today following his surrender on Sunday.

Gill said till now 114 persons have been arrested so far in connection with the March 18 onward crackdown on Khalistani activists. He, however, maintained Amritpal is still absconding even as the latter’s family suspect he has been arrested but it was not being disclosed.

He said six first information reports (FIRs) have been lodged so far against Amritpal and his associates. These include causing disharmony and obstruction in police working and attack on police, besides possessing illegal weapons. Police have also found a walkie-talkie set from one of the vehicles used by Amritpal, Gill said.

Even as heavy police deployment at sensitive places remained in place throughout the state, the IGP said there was total normalcy in Punjab and the cordon and search operation had been successful.He, however, refused to comment on suspension of Twitter handles of Punjab journalists. “It could have been done to maintain public order. Some steps are necessary to maintain law and order. Those are reviewed from time to time,” Gill added.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has further extended the suspension of Internet services in the state till noon of March 21.Internet services were suspended in the state on March 18 till March 19 noon following police crackdown on ‘Waris Punjab De’ head Amritpal Singh and his supporters. The suspension was later extended till March 20 noon.