Amritpal arrested: Gurudwara cleric narrates sequence of events, how fugitive was nabbed

"Amritpal Singh came to the Rodewal Gurudwara on Saturday night. He himself informed the police about his presence and that he will surrender this morning at 7 AM," claimed Singh Sahib Giani Jasbir Singh Rode of Rodewal Gurudwara in Punjab's Moga, while narrating the sequence of events leading up to the arrest of Waris Punjab De's chief. 

Notably, hours before this arrest, Khalistani sympathiser Amritpal Singh addressed the devotees in Rodewal Gurudwara in Punjab's Moga. 

Gurudwara cleric narrates sequence of events

Speaking to media persons, Singh Sahib Giani Jasbir Singh Rode, a cleric of Rodewal Gurudwara in Punjab's Moga said, "Late night he came to Rode village and I got to know from cops that he is surrendering before the police. I met him and he told me that he will surrender before the cops and will tell the reason why he was evading arrest."

"He addressed devotees and thanked all for supporting him. He surrendered before cops after coming out from Gurudwara. He wasn't arrested before this; if that had been the case cops wouldn’t have allowed him to be at Gurudwara," Singh Sahib Giani Jasbir Singh Rode said.

"Probably Amritpal informed cops regarding his presence. Top cops came here and arrested him. He is being taken to Bathinda and then to Dibrugarh. His address will make things clear. I got to know of his surrender at around 12.30 AM and came here at 4 AM. I was present when he surrendered," said the Rodewal Gurudwara cleric. 

After more than a month-long chase, Punjab police on Sunday, April 23 arrested radical preacher Amritpal Singh from Punjab's Moga. Singh who was declared a fugitive was detained by police officials from a Gurdwara in the Rode village of Moga on Sunday morning.

After detaining Amritpal Singh, police authorities are now taking him to Assam's Dibrugarh jail where eight of his aides are already lodged. According to sources, the IAF plane carrying Amritpal Singh left Bathinda airport after authorities took the radical preacher's medical test.

Punjab Police launched a massive manhunt for Amritpal Singh on March 18, a month after members of his outfit 'Waris Punjab De' and his followers stormed a police station in Ajnala. His close aide, Papalpreet Singh was detained by the Punjab Police and taken to Dibrugarh Jail on April 11. Notably, associates of Amritpal Singh were shifted out of Punjab after Central Intelligence Agencies raised concerns over possible jailbreak and repeat of the Ajnala incident on March 11. 

Punjab Police briefs media post Amritpal Singh's arrest

Punjab Police IGP Sukhchain Singh Gill, while addressing media reporters after the arrest of Amritpal Singh, thanked the people of Punjab for maintaining communal harmony. He said, "Amritpal Singh surrendered at 6:45 AM. Police officials took every kind of precaution to maintain the peace of Gurudwara. The radical preacher has been arrested under NSA. Amritpal has been departed to Assam."