Hours before Board exam, Punjab Police lets go five students detained on Sunday

The fifth student of Aklia village was released on Friday evening as he has to take his IELTS exam on Saturday.

Amritpal Singh Sidhu, senior vice-president of Kisan Union (Amritsar) – farmer wing of SAD (Amritsar), said, “Two students of Bhupal village of Mansa and two of Chauke village of Barnala district were released on Thursday evening, while another student of Aklia village of Mansa was released on Friday evening. All of them were arrested on Sunday when some people had staged a dharna on Aklia road after ‘Operation Amritpal’. As Chauke village of Barnala is located nearby, a few persons of that area had also joined in that sit-in. All of them were arrested under Sections 107 and 151 of CrPC which is a bailable offence in the SDM court itself. However it is surprising that even then they were kept in jail for more than five days. Only these five have been released, the rest are still behind bars. Police are still conducting raids all over the state targeting our party workers.”

Sukchain Singh, another SAD (Amritsar) worker from Mansa, said, “All the SAD (Amritsar) workers were sitting on a dharna on road when police arrested them on Sunday. They have no criminal background.”

It may be noted that Section 151 is invoked only when there is imminent danger to peace or likelihood of breach of peace under Section 107 of CrPC. Now on-the-run ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal Singh had planned a religious programme in a Bathinda village as well as in Bhadaur on Saturday and Khalsa Vaheer march in Muktsar on Sunday, but much before this, the crackdown on the self-styled Sikh preacher had happened.

Punjab police release 44 from preventive custody

Chandigarh: Punjab Police Friday released 44 persons taken into preventive custody during the ongoing crackdown on pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh and his outfit Waris Punjab De.

“In the larger interest of the public and keeping in view that youngsters should not suffer, Punjab Police have decided to release those persons who have a minimum role or were just following Amritpal Singh on religious sentiments only,” said Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla.

Shukla said that 44 people, who were under preventive custody, were released and handed over to their family members on Friday following a promise of good conduct in future.

This came a day after Inspector General of Police (IGP) Headquarters Sukhchain Singh Gill said that Punjab Police might release 177 people from preventive custody.

A total of 207 people were taken into custody for allegedly disturbing peace and harmony. Of them, 30 have been found involved in major criminal activities and remaining were under preventive custody, police said.

Chief Minister Punjab Bhagwant Mann has given clear instructions to police to not harass innocent people during the crackdown on Amritpal Singh and his outfit ‘Waris Punjab De’, according to an official statement.