Amritpal Singh arrest: Did Bhindranwale’s nephew turn police informer before WPD chief’s surrender?

Days after Khalistani leader and Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh was arrested from Punjab’s Moga district, reports claimed that slain Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale’s nephew might have played an important role in his capture.

India Today quoted sources as saying that Jasbir Singh Rode, the former chief of Akal Takht and the nephew of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, played an important role in the surrender of Amritpal Singh, who had been absconding for the past 40 days and was successfully evading his arrest.

According to reports, Jasbir was told by Amritpal Singh that he will be surrendering after reaching the Rodewal Gurdwara on April 23. It is believed that Bhindranwale’s nephew secretly informed the police of his surrender, which eventually led to his arrest.

It is also believed that the police were avoiding arresting Bhindranwale in broad daylight as they feared that it might cause a ruckus and lead to an Ajnala-like incident outside of the Moga gurdwara.

While it is being reported that Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale’s nephew was the reason behind Amritpal Singh’s arrest, he denied all such claims and said that it was Amritpal himself who had called the police outside the temple after a month-long manhunt.

Amritpal Singh had surrendered to the Punjab Police after a long chase on April 23 and was taken to the Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam, where eight of his aides and mentor Papalpreet are currently lodged.

The Waris Punjab De (WPD) chief has been kept in a separate cell. As per jail sources, he was not allowed to meet other members of the outfit, including his close aide Papalpreet Singh. Amritpal was also reportedly questioned by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) as he reached the jail.

A source in Dibrugarh jail revealed that IB officers went inside the prison this morning and that the interrogation of Waris Punjab De chief is underway. Assam police is tight-lipped on the development.

(With IANS inputs)

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