Dibrugarh: Amritpal Singh, the chief of Waris Punjab De and Member of Parliament for Khadoor Sahib, was taken into police custody on Thursday following the expiration of his detention under the National Security Act (NSA).
A team from the Punjab Police executed the arrest at Dibrugarh Central Jail in connection with the 2023 Ajnala police station attack case. Singh’s three-year NSA term ended at midnight on Wednesday, April 22.
He was moved from jail to Dibrugarh Police Station for a two-day remand on Thursday. The transfer was conducted under heavy security, involving an 11-vehicle police convoy, including Punjab Police, Assam Police, and Assam Police commandos.
It was led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) from Punjab, with Dibrugarh Additional SP (Crime) Atul Kumar present to oversee the transition.
The two-day remand allows Punjab Police investigators to interrogate Singh regarding his role in the February 2024 incident at Ajnala.
During that event, a mob allegedly stormed a police station to secure the release of an associate, leading to several injuries among police personnel.
Addressing the media, Amritpal Singh’s lawyer, Jasbir Kaur, confirmed the custody arrangement.
“Amritpal Singh has been taken into two days’ police custody by Punjab Police. He will be interrogated by the Punjab Police team at Dibrugarh Police Station in connection with the Ajnala police station attack case. After that, he will again be brought to Dibrugarh Central Jail and kept there,” Kaur said.
She further noted that the trial proceedings will be conducted through video conferencing from Punjab.
The move follows a recent decision by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which permitted the state to formally arrest Singh upon the expiry of his NSA term while maintaining his lodgment at Dibrugarh Central Jail.
The court cited law and order concerns as the primary reason for keeping Singh in Assam rather than transporting him to a prison in Punjab.
Singh has been held at the high-security Dibrugarh Central Jail since April 2023. While several of his associates were previously shifted back to Punjab after their NSA terms ended, Singh remains the primary accused in the Ajnala case.
He faces charges under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including attempt to murder, assault on public servants, and criminal conspiracy.
Beyond the Ajnala case, Singh is named in approximately 12 other FIRs related to violence and intimidation across various districts in Punjab.
He was also recently named as a conspirator in the murder of social media influencer Gurpreet Singh, which occurred in October 2024.
Despite his incarceration, Singh contested and won the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat as an Independent candidate in the 2024 general elections. He was granted a brief period of parole to take his oath of office in July 2024 but has remained in custody since then.