Amritpal’s uncle says not an absconder, have called the cops

Elaborating on the sequence of events on Saturday, he said, “We started in four vehicles at about 8-815 am from our residence at Jallupur Khera. We were on our way to Moga. At about 11 am, when we were slightly short of Harike, somebody informed us that there was heavy deployment of armed forces ahead. We apprehended there was something wrong and we turned back. Till that time, Bhai Amritpal was with me. I was driving the Mercedes. Later, we switched cars and turned towards Goindwal Sahib. We drove for about 40 kms before we [Amritpal and I] separated near Mehatpur village. I think that Bhai Amritpal has been detained by the police”, Harjit Singh told The Indian Express.

He added that when Amritpal’s cavalcade started from his residence this morning, there were two Ford Endeavours, a Mercedes SUV, another Endeavour that joined them later and a Isuzu pick-up vehicle followed by various other vehicles that he did not have information about. “I was driving the Mercedes till we found that police could apprehend us. Then Bhai Amritpal sat in another vehicle and that’s how we separated”.

Refuting the police’s claims of chasing Amritpal for 25 kms or Amritpal’s vehicle hitting motorists on his way, Harjit Singh said, “Not at all. There was no police vehicle chasing us. By the time, we separated, we had nobody behind us. It is just that we got the information that the police were waiting for us on the road ahead on our way to Moga and that is the reason we turned and changed our route. I have now reached Shahkot and called up the DIG Sahib. I have informed him about my location. He is on his way. I think he will reach here any moment. We are not absconders”.