Amritpal had no way to escape, say Punjab Police

Chandigarh: The Punjab Police has said that radical preacher Amritpal Singh had no way to escape other than surrender as the police personnel surrounded him in Rode village of Punjab's Moga. He has been taken to Dibrugarh in Assam under NSA, Inspector General of Police, Sukhchain Singh Gill told a news conference here.

"National Security Act (NSA) warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and these have been executed today morning. Further law will take its own course," Gill said.

Amritpal Singh was arrested by the Punjab Police at around 6:45 am from village Rode after absconding for more than one month.

A special flight carrying radical preacher Amritpal Singh landed at Dibrugarh airport on Sunday from where he will taken to the Central Jail located in the Upper Assam town, officials said.

Singh was flown in the special flight from Bathinda after his arrest by Punjab Police earlier in the day, they said.

"His flight landed at 2:20 pm. After necessary formalities, he will be taken to Dibrugarh Central Jail in a security convoy," a senior official told PTI.

"A joint operation was conducted by the Amritsar Police and intelligence wing of Punjab Police. He was located in village Rode based on operational inputs by Punjab Police. He was surrounded from all sides, the village was surrounded by Punjab police," Gill said.

Police did not enter the gurudwara in which Amritpal was present to maintain its sanctity.

"To maintain sanctity, the police did not enter the gurdwara and since he knew that he had no way to escape now, he was surrounded by Punjab Police. The village was surrounded by Punjab Police from all sides," he said.

Slain militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale hailed from Rode village and Amritpal Singh was last year anointed the head of 'Waris Punjab De' outfit at an event held in this village.
(With PTI inputs)