Fresh CCTV footage shows fugitive preacher Amritpal Singh in Patiala

Meanwhile, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh Saturday asked Amritpal to surrender even as questioned police’s competence, wondering why they have not been able to arrest him despite having such a big force. “If Amritpal is out (of police net), then I will ask him to present (before police) and cooperate with (police) investigation,” said the Jathedar in a video message.

The Jathedar said the biggest question in the mind of every Sikh living across the world is how Amritpal could not be arrested despite a big police force in the state. It raises a question over the functioning of the police, he said, adding if the preacher has already been arrested, then police should say so.

The fugitive’s parents had earlier expressed apprehension that their son had already been arrested by the police.

Amritpal, as per police, had manged to escape their dragnet on March 18 when they launched a crackdown to arrest him. That day Amritpal and his supporters were on way to Chauke village in Rampura Phul in Bathinda from from his native Jallupur Jhera village in Amritsar when they got to know about the heavy police presence.

Amritpal’s cavalcade took an U-turn on a one way road, merely 100 metres ahead of a checkpost that was put near Kamalke village on Jalandhar-Moga road in Moga. Amritpal then reached a road under-bridge in Bajwan Wala, got down from the Mercedes car he was traveling in and boarded a Maruti Brezza car. To mislead the police, the cavalcade moved towards Mehatpur in Jalandhar even as the car carrying Amritpal took a link road to reach Nangal Ambian village where he took shelter in a gurdwara before allegedly forcing the shrine’s priest to hand him his son’s clothes.

After changing into a shirt and trousers and putting on a turban in the popular style, he moved ahead on a motorcycle that was driven by Papalpreet. The preacher first moved towards Mehatpur side, but seeing a police naka took another route to reach Nurmahal area. Three others who helped him escape from Nangal Ambian followed on a Royal Enfield Bullet, before abandoning it and snatching another bike. Meanwhile, the motorcycle Amritpal was riding pillion on suffered a puncture near Dhandhowal village. Amritpal and Papalpreet then loaded it on a cart and reached Shekhupura village route in the evening, and as per an investigating official, forced sons of a gurdwara granthi to accompany them on their motorcycle. On two motorcycles now, Amritpal and Papalpreet made an unsuccessful attempt to find a boat to cross the Sutlej. They later took an old and abandoned bridge to move to the other side They got down at Hardy’s World, an amusement park on Jalandhar-Ludhiana road, and directed the sons of the granthi to drive back on the two motorcycles. From Hardy’s World, the duo took an auto-rickshaw. They were seen near the Hardy’s World at 9:40pm on March 18.

The whereabouts of Amritpal and Papalpreet remain unknown after they stayed over at latter’s woman friend’s home in Shahbad in Kurukshetra on March 19. The woman, Baljit Kaur, was arrested on Thursday soon after a CCTV footage had surfaced showing Amritpal wearing a shirt and trouser while holding an umbrella in Shahbad area. Later, another footage came to fore, stated to be of March 20, in which he is seen again carrying an umbrella and moving on a road opposite Shahbad bus stand. Punjab Police had released the CCTV footage on March 23. Though only the back of the person was visible in the CCTV footage, police said his “gait clearly showed” that it was Amritpal. Prior to that, on March 21, Punjab Police had released first set of CCTV footage, purportedly showing Amritpal in a disguise as he escaped on motorcycle from Nangal Ambian on March 18. The same day, police also released his seven photos in different attires and looks, including an AI generated one in which he is clean shaven.

The next day, another CCTV footage, emerged where Amritpal was purportedly seen sitting in the make-shift cart with a motorcycle.

Intriguingly, on March 23 when Punjab police announced the arrest of Haryana resident Baljit Kaur for sheltering Amritpal, IG Sukhchain Singh Gill appealed to the people to inform police if the fugitive had a similar stay at some other place.

As per Punjab Police, all states and central agencies had been alerted apprehending that Amritpal may try to flee India. A look out circular has been issued and National Security Act invoked against him.

Incidentally, a central agency officials, keeping a tab on the episode, said that “sometimes it is better to make one run than catch him”.

Wishing not to be named, the officer added, “It was a slip. No doubt, the police could not catch the target, the operation was launched for. But, they have been able to break Amritpal’s network, and especially discredit him as he is on the run. When a public figure like him is on the run, his credibility is lost.”

Another investigating official from Punjab said once he escaped on March 18, it was like looking for “a needle in the haystack”.

A retired Punjab Police officer, who served during the peak militancy days, however, however, question the police operation saying it was poorly planned. “The standard operating procedure is to seal the area where fugitive is found to be staying and pick him up in the early hours. What was the need to enact the drama of putting up naka (check post),” said the officer.

Shashi Kant, who retired as DGP (Punjab Prisons) and had stints in central and state intelligence agencies also termed the crackdown against Amritpal as “too little, too late”. “Centre had been issuing alerts on him (Amritpal) well in advance. But, the action by Punjab Police, I would say, was too little, too late.”

Meanwhile, while cautioning against fake news and maintaining that they are making best efforts to nab the fugitive, the Punjab Police has been categorical in stating that they are “working under the ambit of law and will make it public the moment Amritpal is arrested”.

An officer said police decided to go for “surprise” operation instead of trying to pick Amritpal from his village as they suspected, it could lead to a “pitched battle” as the preacher’s supporters were armed.

Earlier, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had rapped the police for failing to nab Amritpal.