Dibrugarh: Four members of Khalistan sympathizer Amritpal Singh, the chief of Waris Punjab De were arrested and brought from Punjab to Assam's Dibrugarh on Sunday. The arrested members would be lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail. Dibrugarh police and the district administration, however, denied commenting on the matter. Singh, who heads the outfit, remained elusive.
Ahead of bringing the arrested members to Assam, security was tightened at Mohanbari airport in the Dibrugarh district. There was heavy police deployment at the airport premises. The four members were flown in a special flight to Assam.
The security at the jail was also stepped up and necessary arrangements were made for lodging the four members. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the four arrested will be lodged in Dibrugarh jail under high security.
In a major crackdown by the Punjab police, 78 members of Waris Punjab De were arrested on Saturday. The outfit members were accused of spreading communal disharmony. Singh, who was declared a fugitive by Punjab police, managed to dodge police and escaped on Saturday. Six to seven of Singh's gunmen were nabbed by the police. Since then, Punjab police have intensified their search operation in and around Punjab as well as stepped up security in the Punjab-Himachal border areas.
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The internet and SMS services in Punjab were suspended till this afternoon to prevent "any incitement to violence and any disturbance of peace". The government did not suspend the broadband services to avoid disruption of banking, hospital, and other services.
Police said that they would arrest Singh very soon. The police chased Singh's car but he took advantage of the narrow streets and escaped by changing vehicles, police said adding that they would not allow anyone to disturb the peace of the area.
