Amritpal Singh's escape: Cops failed to enlist help of locals to plug routes

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 24

Pro-Khalistan activist Amritpal Singh has managed to hoodwink the police for the past six days due to local support and organisational structure of “Waris Punjab De”.

On the contrary, the police didn’t rope in local teams to plug various internal routes in Shahkot-Mehatpur area.

When the police teams chasing Amritpal failed to block his convoy at Harike bridge on March 18, he changed his route towards Goindwal-Sultanpur Lodhi-Shahkot.

The next direction from the police command centre was to swoop on his convoy comprising five cars near Shahkot itself. In Shahkot, the local police were caught unawares and no immediate steps were taken to block side alleys or possible escape routes.

Thus, senior police officers involved in the chase, including Jalandhar DIG Swapan Sharma, Commissioner of Police Kuldeep Chahal, DCP Jaskaran Singh and Amritsar Rural SSP Satinder Singh lost their target.

By the time the local police teams were alerted, it was too late and Amritpal had entered the rural belt of Shahkot, Nurmahal and Phillaur. On the run, “Waris Punjab De” head changed his clothes and vehicles several times.

When police personnel were conducting door-to-door inspection at Sarih village, adjoining Nakodar on March 18 to hunt for the separatist, he had probably crossed the Sutlej and entered Ludhiana district.

Despite being on the run, Amritpal kept on getting help in rural areas in the form of vehicles, clothes, WiFi calling and other logistics support required by him. At least two granthis reportedly came to his rescue. They remained completely tight-lipped till the police came knocking at their doors. The youth around gurdwara in Sheikhupur were clearly in his favour.

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