The Indian Home Ministry on Monday asked its border security forces to be on alert after learning the now-declared fugitive Amritpal Singh might try to cross the country's international border, Indian media revealed.
An officer told a major Indian daily that this message had been conveyed to the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) along with photos of Waris Punjab De group chief Amritpal Singh.
"There is a possibility that he crossed the India-Nepal border or the International Border in Punjab. They have been asked to be on alert and to sensitize all personnel deployed in the border posts," the officer told the paper.
Meanwhile, earlier in the morning, Singh's uncle and driver surrendered to the Jalandhar city police.
Who is Amritpal Singh?
Amritpal Singh is a vocal supporter of the secessionist Khalistan movement that seeks a homeland carved out of India's Punjab state for Sikhs.
He reportedly worked as a driver in Dubai and returned to India last year after becoming head of the 'Waris Punjab De' ('Heirs of Punjab') group, after the organization's founder, late-actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu, had died in a car crash in February 2022.
Singh dresses like Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the late Sikh militant, who led the separatist movement in its heyday of the 1980s, when its supporters -- two Sikh bodyguards -- assassinated Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.
In India, the Khalistan movement is outlawed and considered a top national security threat. But it has some sympathizers in Punjab, while members of the large Sikh diaspora settled in countries such as Canada, the United States, Australia, and Great Britain.
Why Do Police Want to Put Amritpal Singh Behind Bars?
Though intelligence agencies say that they've been keeping an eye on Singh's activities since last year, he was back in the media's spotlight on February 23, when his supporters brandished swords and guns in Punjab. They broke through police barricades and barged into the Ajnala Police Station on the outskirts of Amritsar city, clashing with police to free one of their jailed supporters.
Since then, his speeches have gone viral, where he voices his intent to establish a sovereign state in Punjab called Khalistan. Also, his speeches threatening politicians went viral.
Last week, Punjab Police booked Singh and his aide on charges under the Arms Act, when police recovered six 12-bore rifles and 196 cartridges.
He is named in four criminal cases involving allegations of spreading communal disharmony and attempting to murder and assault policemen.
Meanwhile, a media report said that intelligence agencies had revealed that he was allegedly in contact with members of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Dubai, and offered him money to rekindle Khalistan sentiments in Punjab.
On Saturday, March 18, Punjab police launched a manhunt to capture Singh. He was last seen in Jalandhar city on Saturday, and thereafter he has been on the run.
Given the possibility of rumors being spread by his sympathizers, the Punjab state government has suspended mobile internet services, and text messaging from Saturday and till Monday noontime.
Media reports say that up till Monday morning, almost 112 of Singh’s associates had been arrested or detained.
On Sunday, the police conducted flag marches and searches across the state in its manhunt for Singh. Police have declared him a fugitive, and now the federal Home Ministry has put Punjab's neighboring states — Himachal Pradesh and Haryana -- on high alert.
Why Western Support For Extremist Amritpal Singh?
As news of the police dragnet to hunt down Amritpal Singh spread, some Sikh extremists targeted Indian diplomatic missions in the UK and the US on Sunday.
In London, the Indian national flag was pulled down on Sunday from the first-floor balcony of the building.
India's Foreign Ministry has issued a protest to British Deputy High Commissioner to India Christina Scott over the flag outside the Indian High Commission being torn down. Scott was summoned and an explanation was sought over why British security allowed the activists to enter the mission's premises.
In San Fransisco, Khalistan supporters attacked the Indian Consulate. They also vandalized the premises and raised the Khalistani flag.
Additionally, some Khalistani supporters have painted the wall with the words' #FREEAmritPal.'