Today, Punjab and Haryana High Court chastised Punjab police and ordered them to submit an update on their investigation into Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh.
“You have 80,000 cops; how did Amritpal Singh escape?” the High Court asked the Punjab government. The court noted that this was an intelligence failure by the state’s police.
The court’s remarks come amid a Punjab Police investigation into the Khalistan leader and members of his ‘Waris Punjab De’ outfit.
The Punjab government launched a major crackdown on Amritpal Singh on Saturday, arresting 78 supporters.
When his cavalcade was intercepted in Jalandhar district, the elusive preacher gave the cops the slip and escaped their net. Amritpal Singh, a Khalistani-Pakistan agent, was last seen speeding away on a motorcycle in Jalandhar on Saturday evening.
Singh has been active in Punjab for several years and is frequently seen being escorted by armed supporters. He claims to be a disciple of Khalistani separatist and terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and is dubbed “Bhindranwale 2.0” by his followers.
The crackdown comes less than a month after Amritpal Singh and his supporters stormed a police station armed with swords and guns in exchange for releasing one of his aides. The clash injured six police officers.