The Punjab Police on Wednesday again arrested Amritpal Singh, head of the pro-Khalistan group Waris Punjab Di and MP from Khudwar Sahib, in connection with the 2023 Ajnala police station attack case after his detention under the National Security Act (NSA) ended in a prison in Assam’s Dibrugarh, lawyers said. But he will remain detained in the same prison.
Singh had been detained in an Assam jail since April 2023. A 12-member special team of Punjab Police reached Dibrugarh on Wednesday. According to Singh’s lawyer, the team has already obtained an arrest warrant as well as a two-day police remand order.
“He has been taken into police custody for two days by the Punjab Police and will be interrogated at Dibrugarh police station in connection with the Ajnala case. After that, he will be sent back to Dibrugarh Central Jail,” Singh’s lawyer Jasbir Kaur said.
Kaur said further court proceedings would be conducted through video conferencing from Punjab.
The arrest came in the wake of a recent order by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which allowed the Punjab government to formally arrest Singh after the end of his NSA detention period, while allowing him to remain in Dibrugarh jail, citing law and order concerns if he is transferred to Punjab.
The case dates back to February 24, 2023, when Singh and his supporters entered the headquarters of the Ajnala police station in the Amritsar district, clashed with police personnel and demanded the release of one of his aides. A number of police officers were injured in the accident.
The FIR has been registered under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including attempt to murder, rioting, assault on public servants and criminal conspiracy, besides provisions of the Arms Act. Singh and about 40 others were charged in the case.
On Wednesday afternoon, MP Khuddur Sahib was transferred to Dibrugarh Sadar Police Station from Central Jail, with Assam Police providing security and logistical support during the transfer. His movements were carried out under heavy security guard, with a convoy of 11 vehicles comprising Punjab Police, Assam Police and Special Forces.
Advocate Shyamal Sil from Dibrugarh said the remand allows the Punjab Police to question Singh about his role in the Ajnala incident and related activities, adding that after the end of the two-day remand, the court will decide whether Singh will continue to remain in Dibrugarh or will be transferred to Punjab.
Singh was granted parole in July 2024 to be sworn in as a Member of Parliament, which remains his only appearance in Parliament to date. Despite being in custody, Singh contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an independent from Khadwar Sahib and won by a margin of around 1.9 lakh votes.
According to Punjab Police records, Singh’s name has been mentioned in more than a dozen FIRs across the state, mainly linked to violence and intimidation apart from the Ajnala case. He has also been named as a conspirator in the October 2024 murder of social media influencer Gurpreet Singh alias Hari Nao, police officers said.
