Latest news with #WarisPunjabDe
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Punjab MP and NSA detainee Amritpal Singh's jailed aides look to speed up trials in other FIRs, file pleas for production warrants
1 2 3 4 Chandigarh: Lodged in jails of Punjab, at least four aides of Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh , who is lodged in Dibrugarh jail of Assam under the National Security Act, have moved applications in respective courts for issuance of production warrants in other FIRs registered against them. The aides have been arrested in connection with activists of Waris Punjab De storming Ajnala police station in 2023 to free an aide of Amritpal. The move to file applications for issuance of production warrants in other FIRs is aimed to ensure there is no delay in the trial in cases, said advocate Ritu Raj Singh Sandhu, the counsel for the nine aides of Amritpal who were brought to Punjab to face cases against them after revocation of NSA. "They were kept in Dibrugarh jail for two years under NSA, hence their custody period in the cases against them in Punjab did not start for that period," said Sandhu. Of the nine Amritpal aides who were brought from Dibrugarh jail and arrested in the Ajnala police station case, four – Amritpal's uncle Harjit Singh, Kulwant Singh Rauke, Basant Singh Daulatpura and Bhagwant Singh aka Pardhan Mantri Bajeke — are lodged in Bathinda jail. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Three — Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, Daljit Singh Kalsi and Gurinderpal Singh Aujla — are lodged in Patiala Jail. The other two, Papalpreet Singh and Varinder Singh Johal, are lodged in Ropar and Amritsar jails, respectively. In addition to the Ajnala police station case, some of these aides of Amritpal are facing multiple cases. For instance, eight cases were registered against Papalpreet before the Ajnala police station case and when he was on the run with Amritpal. Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) legal advisor advocate Imaan Singh Khara added Kulwant Singh and Basant Singh were named in an FIR registered at Baghapurana police station in Moga district for sedition and other charges dating to Feb 22, 2023. "The court ordered Moga police to take them into custody in the Baghapurana FIR. After taking them into custody from Bathinda jail, they were to be produced before judicial magistrate (first class) in Baghapurana, but the court was told that there was shortage of security to bring the duo from Bathinda jail to Baghapurana court," he said. An order by the sub-divisional judicial magistrate pronounced on May 16 read: "Production warrant issued against accused Kulwant Singh and Basant Singh received back unexecuted with the report that due to shortage of force/security, production warrants could not be be executed. Separate letter has also been received from the office of Superintendent, Central Jail Bathinda in this regard. Let fresh production warrants of accused Kulwant Singh and Basant Singh be again issued for 26.05.2025. " A source from Moga police said the warrant could not be executed again on May 26 due to "shortage of force as police personnel from the district had to be rushed to Patiala in connection with the chief minister's visit". Advocate Sandhu said similar applications have been moved in the courts in Ajnala (Kulwant Singh Rauke and Papalpreet Singh) and Baba Bakala (Papalpreet and Harjit Singh) in other cases registered against them. "We are soon also moving another application for issuance of production warrants of Papalpreet Singh in Amritsar in connection with another FIR registered against him in Amritsar police commissionerate," he said. "We are also filing RTI applications to know details of any more FIRs, if any, registered against th," said Sandhu. Khara said they had already filed an RTI to know the details of all FIRs registered against Bhagwant Singh [alias] Pardhan Mantri Bajeke. "The RTI was filed on May 12 and sought details of FIRs, if any, lodged against Bajeke, sections under which FIRs were glistered, and the police stations where these were registered. We have no knowledge of any other FIR registered against Bajeke, so we have filed an RTI to the DGP, Punjab, to know if there was any other FIR or FIRs against him," he said. Advocate Sandhu said Bukkanwala was the only one facing one FIR, of the Ajnala police station attack. "We don't have any knowledge of any other FIR against him. We are in process of filing similar RTIs for all others as well to know details of all the FIRs against them," he said. Application to pay obeisance, eye check-up, issue of books Papalpreet, through his counsel, has also moved an application that he may be allowed to pay obeisance at a gurdwara situated in central jail of Ropar, seeking medical facility for check-up of eye sight and seeking to get books issued from the library. Advocate Sandhu said similar application for paying obeisance at gurdwara was made for Bajeke also and the jail authorities had agreed to it after getting a written request from the two.
The Print
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
‘Hit list' lays bare infighting in radical MP Amritpal Singh-led outfit Waris Punjab De
Supporters on both sides are trading barbs on social media, each claiming to have 'proof' against the other, including audio recordings, and blaming each other for misleading the Sikh community and acting as 'touts' of the government and its agencies. The list was posted by close Amritpal aide Baljit Singh, also known as 'Chacha Baghel Singh', on his Facebook page last week. It contains the addresses, phone numbers and reasons for inclusion of the 15 people–including religious preachers, advocates and social activists–who were once instrumental in Amritpal's rise but are now believed to have turned against him. Chandigarh: A so-called 'hit list' of 15 Sikh activists opposed to Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh has surfaced on social media, leading to a furore in the radical preacher's outfit, Waris Punjab De (WPD), with those named alleging it was an open threat aimed at silencing dissent. In his Facebook post, Baljit claimed that he had not compiled the list, which was a part of an official document. He said he had merely made it public to show how growing differences in the WPD and complaints of 'imagined threats' from Amritpal's critics had led to an extension of the MP's detention under the National Security Act (NSA). The list, a grim reminder of the dark days of militancy when such 'hit lists' were issued to generate terror, is believed to be one of several grounds listed by the Punjab government for extending NSA detention of Amritpal. The grounds of detention prepared by the district magistrate, along with its annexures, were reportedly handed over to Amritpal last month as part of the official process undertaken for detention under the NSA. However, it's not clear how the grounds of detention reached social media. Amritsar district magistrate Sakshi Sawhney said she was not authorised to speak on this matter. Advocate Imaan Singh Khara, the chief spokesperson of Amritpal's party, the Akali Dal (WPD), and the party's legal head, told ThePrint Sunday the list was a part of the 30-page grounds of detention prepared by the government in Amritpal's case. 'The detention documents run into thousands of pages and their summary of about 30 pages has this list,' said Khara. 'However, we have not shared the orders or the list with anyone. We have no idea how it has reached social media.' He added that the detention orders issued afresh for the third time will be challenged in the Supreme Court. 'We are in talks with advocates and will be challenging the detention orders under Article 32 of the Constitution.' The Article gives citizens the right to approach the SC for constitutional remedies when their fundamental rights are violated. Amritpal was chosen as WPD head in March 2022, following the death of its founder Deep Sidhu. Last year, Amritpal was elected as the Khadoor Sahib MP, securing the highest number of votes in Punjab. In September, Amritpal's family and supporters had launched his political party. This isn't the first time a 'hit list' of Amritpal's critics has surfaced. Last year, Punjab Police chief Gaurav Yadav mentioned a list of those opposed to Amritpal following the murder of radical activist Gurpreet Singh Harinau, a friend-turned-critic of the Sikh radical. However, the names on the list were not revealed. Harinau was killed in September, allegedly by gangsters. Amritpal was named in the murder case in November 2024. Yadav made the statement while announcing that Amritpal has been booked for Harinau's murder, saying electronic evidence pointed towards Amritpal's alleged involvement in the murder. Religious leader Sukhjit Singh Khose, a well-known critic of Amritpal, told the media Friday that police should investigate the authenticity of the list issued by Baljit Singh. 'What are the police doing? A hit list is issued from America. We are not even sure whether it is authentic or not. But the government needs to find out,' he said. Senior Punjab Police officers said they were looking into the matter. Also Read: Labeled part of 'Communist royal dynasty' & dogged by controversy, who is Kerala minister Mohamed Riyas Internal differences Baljit, who claims to be working as a delivery boy in the US, posted the 'hit list' on his Facebook page, accusing those named of being 'touts' of the government working against Amritpal to ensure he remained in jail. He went live on his Facebook page Friday to explain that he had not prepared the list and it was not aimed as a threat. He said the list was part of official documents and could be procured by anyone under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. He said that he only aimed to highlight how the government was using emerging differences between WPD members. He added that some of those named had not even approached the police, saying they did not believe they were under threat from Amritpal and his supporters. Baljit, however, added that some others on the list had given written statements to the police saying they faced a threat to their life. While Baljit's page 'Chacha Baghel Singh' was blocked Sunday, his move to make the list public has elicited a strong response from Amritpal's critics. Activist Sukhraj Singh, who was once an associate of Gurpreet Harinau and is now a close aide of Harinau's family, went live on his Facebook page to allege that Amritpal was close to the government, not his critics. He said that Amritpal was 'desperate' to surrender when he was on the run from the police following the crackdown on him and his supporters in March 2023. Sukhraj added that Amritpal claimed to be in touch with top government officials to secure a surrender. Sukhraj also released an audio recording of London-based radical Avtar Singh Khanda to back his allegations. Khanda died in June 2023. Sukhraj Singh's father was among those killed in police firing while protesting against the sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib in 2015. He has been leading the campaign for justice in the sacrilege and subsequent police firing cases. Sukhpreet Harinau, brother of slain Gurpreet Harinau, posted on Facebook Thursday that open death threats were issued against these 15 persons on the list by alleged supporters of Amritpal during a TikTok discussion. Posting a screen recording of the TikTok conversation, Sukhpreet said that Chacha Baghel Singh and Pipal Singh were also part of the conversation. Pipal Singh is wanted in the Ajnala police station attack case of February 2023. Sukhpreet's 56-minute audio recording, allegedly with Amritpal in 2021, had gone viral last month. Released by Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, the recording has Amritpal allegedly talking about his links with gangsters and handling their stashed loot of money and gold. When Amritpal's family rejected the recording as being generated using artificial intelligence, Sukhpreet had challenged Amritpal's family to share his voice sample for a voice examination to ascertain the truth of the audio recording. 'Will complain' Sukhpreet asked his supporters on Facebook Sunday to gather details of all threats being issued to Amritpal's critics on social media by Chacha Baghel Singh's 'trolling gang', so that legal action could be initiated against them. 'Before Gurpreet was murdered, we had received similar threats, but we never took them seriously. A few days later, Gurpreet was killed. This time, we are going to take all these threats seriously,' wrote Sukhpreet. Advocate Simranjit Singh, who is representing the Harinau family in the Gurpreet Harinau murder case, told the media Friday that Amritpal and his supporters had started targeting him also after he supported Harinau's family following Gurpreet's murder. 'I have represented Amritpal Singh in three cases. But now I'm being threatened through VPN calls and messages. They are using the darknet to hire contract killers. They are putting pressure on me to withdraw from the Harinau case,' he alleged. Simranjit told ThePrint Saturday that he was in the process of drafting a complaint in the matter. He added that Baljit Singh belonged to Gurdaspur and was a motor mechanic. 'He went to the US some years ago and has a gang of five to seven truck drivers who create multiple fake IDs and try to troll every good person in Punjab,' he said. Advocate Parminder Singh Vig, who challenged Amritpal's election in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, told the media Friday that issuing the hit list by 'Chacha Baghel Singh's trolling gang was a form of cyber terrorism to pressure those against Amritpal'. 'Unfortunately, there was a time when I had helped them, but as more and more layers of their system came to the fore, I realised what kind of people they are,' he said, adding that legal action would be initiated against those responsible for issuing the 'hit list'. Sikh activist Bhagat Singh Doabia, the petitioner in the election case against Amritpal, told the media Friday that critics of Amritpal had on several occasions offered to undergo lie detector tests and forensic examination of the proof they provided against Amritpal. But neither Amritpal nor his family had accepted the challenge. 'Instead, they were using all means to silence and scare those against them.' 'Infighting unfortunate' Amritpal's paternal uncle Sukhchain Singh told ThePrint Sunday that the ongoing fight on the internet over the hit list was 'unfortunate'. Everyone should remain united for the sake of the Sikh community, he said, adding that the list had been prepared by the police. 'Some people are jealous of Amritpal because he has risen so much and made a place in the hearts of the people. They have been speaking against him,' Sukhchain said. 'The police have taken advantage of that and prepared a list of these persons, saying that their lives are under threat. Then they used this list to make sure that Amritpal remains in jail.' He added that those expressing outrage were upset about being questioned about their role in helping the police extend Amritpal's detention under the NSA. Charandeep Singh Bhinder, a close aide of Amritpal's family, told ThePrint Sunday that all efforts will be made to counsel those against the MP so that the ongoing internal battle can be stopped. (Edited by Sugita Katyal) Also Read: Sexist jibes to communal remarks, the many controversies of MP minister Kunwar Vijay Shah
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia says govt not probing Amritpal Singh in murder case
Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) functionary Bikram Singh Majithia on Monday accused AAP govt in Punjab of "not acting" against Waris Punjab De chief and Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh "in the Gurpreet Hari Nau murder case or even the UAPA case involving planning of political assassinations ". Addressing a press conference, Majithia said AAP govt had, in fact, helped Amritpal by extending his NSA detention. "Similarly, no attempt is being made to probe a Rs 22-crore dacoity committed by Jaipal Bhullar, in which Amritpal claimed he had a hand," added Majithia. He stated that Amritpal was also not being questioned about his link with gangsters. Earlier in the day, responding to a question on a purported viral audio linking Amritpal with slain gangster Jaipal Bhullar, Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said, "I am very keen to comment on it, but it is a quasi-judicial matter where every accused has rights. "I cannot jeopardise the rights of an accused," he said. Majithia also released a purported video of Amritpal's brother claiming he was "partaking drugs" and asserted that "Amritpal had only put up an anti-drug façade, but was actually involved in drug smuggling besides being closely associated with gangsters". Majithia also showed another video of Amritpal's father, Tarsem Singh, claiming drugs had been planted on his son Harpreet. "This video makes it clear that Harpreet is a habitual drug offender and that his father Tarsem was lying to protect him despite being a baptised Sikh," said Majithia. The SAD leader said, "Whatever I said has been substantiated by Sukhpreet Hair Nau, whose brother Gurpreet Hari Nau was murdered at Amritpal's behest. Police investigation also revealed that two drug addicts – Anmolpreet and Navjot Neeta, who murdered Gurpreet, were linked with gangsters Arsh Dalla and Lawrence Bishnoi. This means Amritpal is also in league with gangsters." Majithia also released a video which purportedly showed Punjab State Mandi Board engineer-in-chief Jatinder Singh Bhangoo leading Amritpal out of the gurdwara in Moga where he surrendered to the police. "While this proves Bhangoo's hand in sheltering Amritpal when he went underground after the Ajnala incident, the Punjab Police is yet to take any action in the case. Instead of taking any action, chief minister Bhagwant Mann shared the stage with Bhangu at an official event recently," Majithia added. Amritpal group's spokesperson slams claim Imaan Singh Khara, the chief spokesperson and legal advisor of Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) headed by Amritpal Singh, hit back at Majithia and said, "Majithia is levelling false allegations against Bhai Amritpal Singh since his public support has eroded. By falsely accusing Bhai Amritpal Singh, he is trying to regain his lost security cover and maintain a façade of influence among the people." Khara, who held a press conference in Chandigarh on Saturday, dismissed the purported call recording of Amritpal released earlier by Majithia as "AI-generated", a claim mocked by Majithia on Monday.
Hindustan Times
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Punjab: Leaked chat: Two more arrested over ‘assassination' plot
The Moga police have arrested two more persons for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to target the political leaders. The arrested accused have been identified as Harwinder Singh of Rajeana and Sukhchain Singh of Malliana village, both in Moga district. A case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other sections was registered in Moga on April 21, and since then, the police have arrested five persons, including a 17-year-old boy, for their alleged role in terror activities. The accused were arrested on Tuesday night. They were produced before a Moga district court on Wednesday and were sent to two-day police remand. According to the police, there were at least 30 members of Waris Punjab De on the WhatsApp chat group who were found plotting to target Union home minister Amit Shah, Union minister Ravneet Bittu and others over the extension of Khadoor Sahib MP's detention under the National Security Act (NSA) for one more year. The alleged conspiracy was exposed through leaked chats on social media platforms on Sunday. HT couldn't independently verify the veracity of the chats. Investigators said that digital data is being analysed to identify more accused who were members of the said chat group with objectionable content.
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Amritpal's fresh detention under NSA begins in Dibrugarh jail
Dibrugarh: Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh began a fresh term of detention at the high-security Dibrugarh Central Jail on Wednesday under the National Security Act (NSA), after his previous two-year detention expired on April 22. A Punjab Police team arrived at the jail to formally execute the renewed detention order issued by Amritsar district magistrate Sakshi Sawhney. Officials confirmed that Singh was handed a pen drive containing the grounds for his detention and related documents in the presence of Dibrugarh Jail superintendent. A laptop was temporarily provided to him to review the contents. The new NSA detention order was first served to Singh on April 18 by Punjab Police DSP Guruvinder Singh of Ajnala (Amritsar rural district). The order was read out in Punjabi and English to ensure his complete understanding of the charges and legal provisions being invoked. The Amritsar district magistrate's order cited 'grave and imminent danger' that Singh, upon release, would engage in activities 'prejudicial to the security of the State and public order'. The decision followed a proposal from Amritsar rural senior superintendent of police (SSP) Maninder Singh, who cited ongoing security concerns as justification for the extension, backed by documents, audio clips and other evidence. "There is a grave and imminent danger that you, on your release from detention, would indulge in activities prejudicial to the security of the State and prejudicial to the maintenance of Public Order. Therefore, it is necessary to detain you afresh from April 23, 2025, to prevent such actions," the order stated. According to the order, Singh has the right to appeal within three weeks before the Punjab govt, the NSA Advisory Board, and the central govt. His legal team is expected to challenge the extension. While Singh's detention was extended, nine of his associates — detained alongside him in Dibrugarh — were recently transferred to Punjab after their two-year NSA terms lapsed.
