Amritpal Singh Formally Arrested in Ajnala Violence Case After NSA Lapse

Amritsar Rural Police on Thursday formally arrested Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament and ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal Singh in connection with the Ajnala violence case. The arrest was carried out immediately after the expiry of the National Security Act (NSA) imposed against him. Following his arrest, Amritpal Singh was produced before the Sub-Divisional Court in Ajnala through video conferencing from Dibrugarh Jail in Assam, where he has been lodged. The police had sought a 15-day remand to conduct a detailed investigation, recover weapons and vehicles, and probe the alleged conspiracy behind the formation of the ‘Anandpur Khalsa Force’. However, after hearing arguments from the defence counsel Harpal Singh Khara and Rituraj Singh, the court granted only a two-day police remand. During this period, Amritpal Singh will continue to remain lodged in Dibrugarh Jail, and the police will carry out questioning there. The defence argued that the case is already under trial and has reached the stage of witness examination. They further contended that during the past three years of investigation, the police had not previously mentioned the vehicles they are now seeking. It is noteworthy that Amritpal Singh has been in custody at Dibrugarh Jail since April 23, 2023. Several of his associates in the case have already been transferred to jails in Punjab and are currently facing trial. Earlier, the Punjab government had approached the High Court citing security and law-and-order concerns, seeking permission to keep Amritpal Singh detained in Dibrugarh Jail instead of bringing him to Amritsar. The court accepted this request, allowing all proceedings to be conducted via video conferencing. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Saturday.