5 min readChandigarhMar 14, 2023 07:22 AM IST
First published on: Mar 13, 2023 at 05:23 PM IST
At least 10 close aides of Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh, including his uncle Harjit Singh, who have been under close scrutiny since the Ajnala police station attack, are likely to lose their arms licences soon, sources in investigative agencies said.
All of them are believed to be part of Waris Punjab De as well as the mob that stormed the police station in Amritsar on February 23. Many of them got associated with the outfit during or after the year-long agitation against three farm laws at New Delhi’s borders.
The investigating agencies have identified the licensed arms and ammunition that these close aides of Amritpal possess. It is not yet known if they also possess any unlicensed arms and ammunition. The agencies have recommended cancellation of the arms licences of all these 10 people, one of whom has already had his licence cancelled.
At least three of them got their arms licences from Jammu and Kashmir while the remaining ones were issued in various Punjab districts. Most have licences for possessing .12 bore double-barrel guns and .32 bore revolvers or pistols. A few also have 17-25 rounds of ammunition.
Gurbhej Singh, son of Balvir Singh and resident of Gondara village in Faridkot, possesses a .32 bore revolver and .315 bore rifle. His licence was otherwise valid till April 11, 2026, but the additional district magistrate has cancelled it.
Harpreet Devgun aka Harpreet Singh Devgun– of House no. 4,062, Phase-2, Patiala—possesses a .32 bore revolver and 30.06 Springfield rifle. His arms licence is valid till February 4, 2026.
Ram Singh Brar, considered to be an active member of Waris Punjab De, is a resident of Ghuniya Wala village in Kotkapura, and possesses a .12 bore double-barrel rifle and 25 rounds of ammunition besides a .32 bore revolver with 25 rounds. Both weapons were purchased from Small Arms Factory in Kanpur.
An agriculturist by profession, Brar, told The Indian Express that he had got the weapons and the arms licence for self-protection. “I do not have any information that my arms licence is being considered for cancellation. I got the weapons about one and a half to two years ago. I am associated with Waris Punjab De since the days of the farmers agitation at the Singhu border. While I applied for the arms licence before the farmer agitation, I got it issued later because it is a tedious process.”
Gurmeet Singh Bukanwala is a resident of Bukanwala village in Moga and possesses a .32 bore revolver. His arms licence is valid till July 29, 2026.
Avtar Singh, resident of Kahangarh village in Sangrur, possesses a .12 bore double-barrel rifle and held an arms licence till January 13, 2022.
Amritpal’s uncle Harjit Singh, a resident of Jallupur Khera in Amritsar (rural), possesses a .12 bore double-barrel gun and a non-prohibited bore revolver/pistol.
He said, “If the government cancels our arms licences, that will be extremely wrong. It will just be another repeat of Sidhu Moosewala’s security curtailment. We have got the arms licences for our self-protection. So far, I have not received any notice regarding the cancellation of my arms licence. In fact, I had recently got it renewed in January. I am Bhai Amritpal’s chacha and that is the reason I got associated with Waris Punjab Dev to ensure his safety and security.”
Asked if Amritpal also possessed arms or ammunition, Harjit Singh replied in the negative.
Baljinder Singh, now living at House no. 154-A in New Amritsar, possesses a double-barrel gun, a .32 bore revolver and a .315 bore rifle.
Amritpal Singh, of Gharyala village in Tarn Taran district, possesses a .12 bore double-barrel gun, and is believed to have 20 rounds of ammunition.
His arms licence was issued by the district magistrate of Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir on July 23, 2014 and is valid till July 23, 2025.
Varinder Singh, of Jaur Singh Wala village in Tarn Taran district, also possesses a .12 bore double-barrel gun with 20 rounds of ammunition and his arms licence was issued by the same district magistrate on the same day.
Similarly, Talwinder Singh, of Lot Dharam Chand Kalan village in Tarn Taran district, possesses a .12 bore gun with 17 rounds of ammunition.
His arms licence was issued by the district magistrate of Ramban, also in Jammu and Kashmir, on August 7, 2008. It is valid till August 7, 2023.
Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh (File) 
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