Chandigarh/Jaipur: Police in Rajasthan are searching for Amritpal in Hanumangarh district and nearby areas, the state police chief said on Thursday. Rajasthan DGP Umesh Mishra said that the search operation was launched Wednesday night following information about Amritpal's likely presence in Hanumangarh district bordering Punjab.
He said that teams of Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Emergency Response Team (ERT) of Rajasthan Police are actively on the lookout for Amritpal. Apart from Hanumangarh, alerts have also been sounded in Sriganganagar, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, and Barmer, he said.
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Meanwhile, in Punjab, speculations are rife that Amritpal Singh, who is on the run since March 18, may surrender within 48 hours at any of the historic gurudwaras of Punjab. Police have stepped up security at Sri Harmandir Sahib or Sri Damdama Sahib or Sri Anandpur Sahib. The move comes in the wake of unconfirmed reports of Amritpal attending a gathering on Baisakhi on Friday.
A large Sikh gathering is expected to mark Baisakhi celebrations following the call given by Akal Takht Sahib Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh. Police have received information that Amritpal may surrender before April 14, said a source. The fugitive's posters have been put up at Amritsar, Batala and other railway stations of Punjab to gather information about him.
The posters said that Amritpal is wanted in connection with many cases. Police have also said that anyone who shares any information about Amritpal will be awarded and his identity will not be disclosed. Police have been conducting regular raids across the state and Amritpal's close relatives are being interrogated. Two persons, including Charanjit Kaur, mother of Amritpal's handler Avtar Singh Khanda from Moga were detained by the police for questioning recently. The police also raided the house where Amritpal took shelter on March 28 and 29 in Hoshiarpur.
Three days back, Amritpal's close aide Papaljeet Singh was arrested from Kathu Nangal area in Amritsar. After interrogating Papaljeet it was revealed that he had travelled with Amritpal to several places in Haryana, Patiala, Delhi and Pilibhit. The duo had got separated on March 28 while escaping from police. Since then, they were not in contact with each other.
