Now jailed alongside Amritpal, how eight men were drawn into his orbit

In 2016-17, he came in contact with actor-activist Deep Sidhu (Waris Punjab De founder, who died in a car accident last February) to make a movie, and while that project did not take off, the two became friends. According to details of Kalsi’s questioning, Sidhu called him to join the 2020-21 farmers’ protest, specifically at Shambhu Border. Kalsi was also the one who furnished the bail bond for Sidhu when the latter was arrested by Delhi Police in connection with the infamous January 26, 2021 incident, during which hundreds of protesters had stormed the Red Fort.

In 2022, Kalsi visited Dubai and had a meeting with Amritpal, who would go on to become the head of Waris Punjab De after Sidhu’s death. “He told investigators he came to know about Amritpal through WhatsApp groups created by Sidhu during the farmers’ protest,” said an officer.

Kalsi’s questioning also revealed that he had once called on the Counsellor General of Pakistan in Canada. The visit was to submit a memorandum against the killing of two Sikhs in Pakistan.

Gurinder Pal Singh alias Gur Aujila, 45

According to investigators, Aujila has a PG Diploma in direction and filmmaking from the National Film and Television School, London. He, too, was in touch with Sidhu after the latter’s release from jail following the Red Fort incident, and allegedly joined the Waris Punjab De eventually. “He also met Kalsi in March-April 2022 in the UK,” an officer said.

Gurmeet Singh alias Bukkanwala, 37

He met Sidhu at the farmers’ protest and the two became friends. According to investigators, he is the one who allegedly registered the ‘Warris Panj-Aab De Social and Welfare Society’ in Moga. “He was also on the 16-member committee formed by Sidhu to look after the affairs of Waris Punjab De on January 23, 2022,” an officer said.

Harjit Singh alias Jeeta, 51

A school dropout, he shifted to Dubai in 1992 and started working as a labourer. “In 2007, he started a transport company which he grew into a family business.” It is the same company where Amritpal would go on to work in 2012-13.

“Jeeta revealed that Amritpal spent his childhood in Amritsar’s Jallupur Khera village, and was not particularly interested in studies. In 2012-13, he shifted to Dubai and started working at Jeeta’s transport company. In 2015, the two visited a gurdwara in Abu Dhabi where the issue of sacrilege in Punjab was the subject of discussion,” an officer said.

“He observed that from 2019, Amritpal started writing pro-separatist posts on Facebook. His family did not intervene as they knew it was not his nature to listen. It was in 2022 that the family came to know he had been declared the chief of Waris Punjab De,” an officer said.

According to investigators, Jeeta was also allegedly involved in mobilising crowds for the February incident in Punjab’s Ajnala, where Amritpal’s supporters had stormed a police station.

Basant Singh Daulatpura, 28

He moved to Dubai in 2018 and started working in an entry-level position in a company there, before returning the next year. Back in India, he started working as a medical representative in a pharma company until 2021.

“In 2021, one of his friends informed him that Sidhu would be coming to his village to address a gathering. Daulatpura went to meet him, and told him he was a fan of his movies,” an officer said.

“He then came in touch with Bukkanwal, who assigned him the task of operating the official phone number of Waris Punjab De. He used to receive calls on that number from different countries such as the US, Canada and UK of people who wanted to be part of the outfit. He operated that number till Sidhu’s death in February 2022 and then handed the phone back to Bukkanwal,” said an officer.

“Later, on Amritpal’s directions, he worked at drug de-addiction centres in Punjab, most recently at village Cheema Jodhpur. He allegedly mobilised the inmates from that centre when the plan to lay siege to Ajnala was afoot, but was stopped and detained while on his way. He claims he never received any funds from Amritpal, though the latter would give him Rs 20,000-30,000 for expenses related to the centres,” said an officer.

Varinder Singh Johal, 32

He served in the Army for seven years before being dismissed from service in 2016 as he was convicted in a criminal case. Afterwards, he worked as a private security guard in Rajasthan and Bangalore for six months before returning to his home in Punjab.

He started following Amritpal through social media and went on to attend his programmes in August-September 2022. “He eventually got an audience with Amritpal and told him he wanted to work for him. Amritpal asked him to be his bodyguard, and he joined at a salary of Rs 15,000. He would carry a pump action gun for his security, and was allegedly involved in the formation of Anandpur Khalsa Force (AKF) along with Amritpal,” an officer said.

Bhagwant Singh alias Pradhanmantri Bajeke, 38

Since childhood, Singh had never ventured far from his village, where he took care of five acres of agricultural land registered in his father’s name. In 2019, he found a new hobby – making short videos on TikTok and Facebook. “This is also how he discovered Amritpal, and soon started sharing his videos on social media. He finally met Amritpal earlier this year,” an officer said.

Kulwant Singh alias Rauke, 40

Once a contingency staff at a thermal plant Ropar in 2009, Rauke is among those who met Sidhu at the farm protests, and later held a grand programme to welcome him at his own village in April 2021. He was also among those who attended a prayer ceremony following Sidhu’s death, say investigators.

“He, too, was allegedly part of the Ajnala incident and has spoken with Amritpal over the phone on three occasions,” an officer said.