Seven aides of Khadoor Sahib MP and radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh were remanded to four days of Punjab Police custody following their court appearance on Friday. The court’s decision comes in connection with the 2023 attack on the Ajnala police station.
The individuals, who were recently released from Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam and subsequently re-arrested by Punjab Police, were flown to Amritsar under stringent security measures. They were presented before the local court in Ajnala at 8:30 AM and are now remanded until March 25.
Punjab Police have stated that the custody is necessary to recover mobile phones and weapons and to further their ongoing investigations into the incidents surrounding the Ajnala police station attack. Initially detained under the National Security Act (NSA), the accused were transferred back to Punjab following the non-renewal of their detention under the NSA.
The transferred individuals include Basant Singh of Daulatpura Ucha, Bhagwant Singh of Bajeke village, Gurmeet Singh Gill of Bukkanwala village, Sarabjeet Singh Kalsi of West Punjabi Bagh, Gurinderpal Singh Aujla of Phagwara, Harjeet Singh of Jallupur Khera village, and Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal of Rauke Kalan, all of whom have significant ties to the region.
This legal action stems from a February 2023 incident where Amritpal Singh and his followers, allegedly armed with swords and guns, stormed the Ajnala police station. They are accused of breaking through barricades to free imprisoned associates, leading to clashes with police officers.
Amritpal Singh remains detained in Assam under the NSA, along with two others, with their release scheduled for mid-June. Singh, a figure often compared to the late militant preacher Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, was apprehended in April 2023 after eluding capture for over a month.
In defense, Advocate Harpal Singh Khara argued that the police’s request for remand based on recovery needs is unfounded, claiming that the necessary items are already in police custody. He criticized the actions against Amritpal Singh and his associates as politically motivated, highlighting the ongoing legal proceedings and the respectful handling of religious symbols by the accused during the incident.
