Amritpal dumped Merc, fled in Brezza to dodge Punjab Police - Hindustan Times
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Amritpal dumped Merc, fled in Brezza to dodge Punjab Police

Mar 20, 2023 03:45 PM IST

Sikh separatist leader got to know police were on his trail in Moga and managed to give them the slip in busy Mehatpur market, his uncle Harjit Singh tells cops during interrogation

Sikh separatist leader Amritpal Singh knew that Punjab Police was on his chase and gave them the slip on Saturday afternoon by fleeing in a Maruti Brezza from a busy market in Mehatpur village of Jalandhar district.

Radical Sikh leader Amritpal Singh leaving Golden Temple along with his supporters in Amritsar on March 3. He managed to give police chasing him the slip at a busy market in Mehatpur village of Jalandhar district on Saturday. (Reuters file photo)
Radical Sikh leader Amritpal Singh leaving Golden Temple along with his supporters in Amritsar on March 3. He managed to give police chasing him the slip at a busy market in Mehatpur village of Jalandhar district on Saturday. (Reuters file photo)

During his initial interrogation, Amritpal’s paternal uncle, Harjit Singh, who surrendered near Bullandpuri Gurdwara in nearby Shahkot at 1.30am on Monday along with his driver Harpreet Singh, stated that Amritpal was travelling in a convoy of four vehicles in Moga on Saturday when he got to know of the police chasing them to arrest him.

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“One of our supporters had called us about the heavy police deployment. Initially, we decided to flee in a Mercedes from Mehatpur but it was Amritpal’s idea that he and I should flee separately. Someone had come in the Brezza at Mehatpur in which Amritpal fled. I took the Mercedes that the police kept chasing, thinking we were together,” Harjit told the interrogators, a senior official said, requesting anonymity.

Police are verifying Harjit’s claims with CCTV footage.

Watched police op over TV before surrender

Harjit claimed that it was a deliberate attempt to stop the convoy in the busy market at Mehatpur. “I engaged with police officers there and by that time Amritpal fled,” he told the probe team.

Harjit said that as police started following them, he and his driver reached the house of a local sarpanch, where they stayed overnight.

Harjit said he watched the entire operation on TV from the house before deciding to surrender as he had realised by then that it was tough for them to move out.

It is learnt that he called up deputy inspector general (DIG), border range, Narendra Bhargav at 9pm, informing him that he wanted to surrender. He eventually gave himself up before a police team, including DIG Bhargav, Amritsar Rural SSP Satinder Singh and Pathankot SSP Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh.

Harjit said Amritpal was accompanied by a bodyguard when he fled.

Harjit’s ISI, terror links

Harjit is said to be the brain behind Amritpal and, according to intelligence inputs, he had played a key role in his nephew’s training by Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). Harjit is also said to be in touch with Pakistan-based terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode.

The police have confiscated Harjit’s mobile phone for forensic examination.

Harjit has been taken to Amritsar for further interrogation.

Police have recovered a pistol and 1 lakh from him and impounded the Mercedes car.

Harjit is likely to be flown to Dibrugarh to be lodged in the central jail in Assam, where six other associates of Amritpal are behind bars.

Police have speeded up the search for Amritpal across the state following inputs from Harjit’s interrogation.

The Punjab government decided to extend the ban on mobile internet and SMS services till Tuesday noon.

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