Man harbouring Amritpal Singh's close aide Gorkha Baba arrested: Punjab Police

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], March 27 : Punjab Police on Sunday arrested Balwant Singh, from Khanna city in Ludhiana district of Punjab, the man who had harboured Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh's close aide Tajinder Singh Gill.

Khanna Police said that they have arrested Balwant Singh, the one who harboured Amritpal Singh's close aide Tajinder Singh Gill.

"His questioning is underway," police said, adding that no connection between Amritpal Singh and Balwant Singh has been found yet.

Tajinder Singh Gill alias Gorkha Baba, the core team member of Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh, the Khanna Police on Friday released incriminating videos recovered from the mobile phone of Gorkha.

The chief of Waris Punjab De is still escaping the State police's dragnet. Amritpal Singh was declared a fugitive on the day, Punjab Police launched a crackdown against him and his pro-Khalistan outfit.

Punjab Police on Saturday appealed to people not to believe in rumours and fake news of the arrest of radical preacher and pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh, which is being circulated on social media.

Speaking at a press briefing on Saturday, Bathinda SSP Gulneet Khurana said, "We urge people not to believe the fake reports of the arrest of Amritpal Singh that are being widely circulated on social media."

He blamed the fake reports on "rumour mongers" based in the United Kingdom, United States and Canada.

"A few people sitting in the UK, US, and Canada are spreading false news on social media that Amritpal is being tortured (in custody)," the SSP added.

He added, "BSF compes along with police personnel and 140 security personnel from Bahadurgarh are currently deployed in Bathinda to ensure peace."

An alert was sounded in Uttarakhand over the possibility of the absconding pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh entering the state, informed Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) V Murugesan on Saturday morning.

Murugesan added that he had received inputs from the Punjab Police that the pro-Khalistan leader, who fled Punjab in the wake of the crackdown on Waris Punjab De, may enter Uttarakhand from Haryana.

He told that checks and searches are underway and a security alert has gone out in places through which he can enter the state.

The officer added that the district police have also been alerted and vigilance stepped up at the borders.

Tejinder Singh aka Gorkha Baba, a resident of Punjab's Mangewal village was arrested on Friday.

"Tejinder often lived with Amritpal and is involved in the Ajnala case as well. Gorkha Baba used to be Amritpal's gunman for a long time. He was also active on social media, and his pictures along with weapons used to surface on social media. After which a separate case was registered against Tejinder in Malaud police station", DSP Payal Harsimrat Singh told .

The police informed that action has been taken against him under sections 107/151 of the Indian Penal Code (IPS).

"Two other people accompanying Tejinder have also been detained. They are being interrogated", added the DSP.

The DSP said that Tejinder had a history of criminal cases, ranging from fracas to liquor smuggling, registered against him and he had also served a sentence in jail.

On Friday, an alert was issued in the Dehradun, Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts of Uttarakhand, amid reports of Amritpal trying to enter the state.

A team of Delhi Police and Punjab Police on Friday launched a search operation for Amritpal in Delhi and its border in view of the possibility of him entering the national capital.

However, Delhi Police later said Waris Punjab De chief may have left the national capital.

On March 18, Punjab Police launched an operation against Amritpal and his aides. The crackdown came almost over three weeks after Amritpal's supporters clashed with uniformed personnel at the Ajnala police station on February 23, on the outskirts of Amritsar, demanding the release of one of his close aides, Lovepreet Toofan.