Following inputs that fugitive pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh has sneaked into Punjab, a Counter Intelligence team of state police Tuesday evening chased an SUV, but its occupants abandoned the vehicle near a gurdwara in Hoshiarpur and managed to escape. It is suspected that Amritpal was traveling in the SUV — a Toyota Innova — with his associates, including Papalpreet Singh. The vehicle was coming from Phagwara when the Counter Intelligence team started following it. The occupants fled after leaving the car at Gurdwara Bhai Chanchal Singh at New Marnayian village. A village resident said the Innova was followed by a Toyota Fortuner. Some eyewitnesses claimed that the men who got down from Innova scaled a boundary wall near the gurdwara and ran into the fields. The incident took place around 8.30 pm. The police launched a search operation in the village and surrounding areas but were yet to nab any of the occupants of the vehicle till the filing of this report. The entire area has been sealed. Police force from four districts, including Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala and SBS Nagar, are said to be involved in the operation. The entire top brass of the Jalandhar police, including DIG Jalandhar range, Swapan Sharma had reached the spot.
