Khalistani preacher Amritpal's close aide Papalpreet Singh arrested in Punjab
Fugitive Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh's close aide, Papalpreet Singh, has reportedly been arrested from Punjab's Hoshiarpur. According to the police, he was apprehended in a joint operation by units of the Punjab Police and the special cell of the Delhi Police and is being detained under the stringent National Security Act (NSA). Singh, on the other hand, is still at large.
Why does this story matter?
The duo has been engaged in a cat-and-mouse game with the police since last month after a manhunt was launched to nab them. Singh seeks to revive the Khalistan movement led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in the 1980s, which was crushed by the government. They accuse the Indian government of carrying out historical injustices against Sikhs and Punjab.
Earlier, reports said they might have fled India
Waris Punjab De head Singh and his aide Papalpreet reportedly stayed together and remained on the move to evade cops. They also took country routes and constantly changed places and modes of transport. Earlier, reports suggested they went to Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand and might have even escaped to Nepal. However, the latest reports claim they reached Hoshiarpur and then took separate routes.
Papalpreet Singh allegedly linked to ISI
Reports also said Papalpreet is Singh's media advisor and mentor. He is allegedly linked to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), much like Singh, who intelligence agencies previously claimed was sent to create unrest in India by fuelling terror activities and boosting cross-border drug trade.
Papalpreet was booked for sedition in 2015 under SAD government
Previously, Papalpreet's Twitter account in India, along with several other accounts, were withheld on the government's order to stop the spread of misinformation. Notably, Papalpreet completed a computer science diploma in 2015 and ran a pro-Khalistani website, said reports. The same year, he was booked by the Amritsar Police in a sedition case during the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tenure.
