Guwahati: Fugitive pro-Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh’s close aide Papalpreet Singh, who was arrested from Hoshiarpur on Monday, was flown to Assam’s Dibrugarh district in a Vistara Airlines flight amidst tight security by commandos of the Punjab Police on Tuesday morning.
The flight with Papalpreet Singh landed at the Mohanbari airport in Dibrugarh at around 11.30 am and was immediately whisked away to the Dibrugarh Central Jail in a convoy of several vehicles amidst tight security.
The distance between the Mohanbari airport and Dibrugarh Central Jail is around 15 kilometres and takes about 25 minutes. The police convoy with Papalpreet reached the Dibrugarh Central Jail at around 12 noon.
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Papalpreet Singh was brought to the Dibrugarh Central Jail in a white Bolero vehicle.
Eight other close aides of Amritpal Singh, including his uncle Harjeet Singh, have been lodged at the high-security Dibrugarh Central Jail, after being slapped with the stringent National Security Act (NSA).
Papalpreet Singh was arrested from Hoshiarpur in a joint operation conducted by the Punjab Police and its counter-intelligence unit along with Delhi Police.
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Amritpal and Papalpreet were on the run since March 18 after the police launched a crackdown on Amritpal’s radical outfit Waris Punjab De and its supporters.
Both were spotted together at various places in Punjab but went on their own ways in Hoshiarpur.
Papalpreet Singh, a close aide of ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal Singh, has been slapped with the NSA. He is also wanted in six cases.
Papalpreet is believed to be the “right hand” and mentor of radical preacher Amritpal Singh who planned out things for him after the latter was declared a fugitive by the Punjab Police. He is also alleged to have been in contact with Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI.
“I don’t know whether Amritpal will surrender or not. We separated on the 28th night”, Papalpreet Singh told media persons waiting outside the Dibrugarh jail premises while being asked about Amritpal.