Indian police arrest Sikh leader Amritpal Singh
- By Reuters -
- Apr 23, 2023
NEW DELHI: Indian police have arrested Khalistan movement leader Amritpal Singh after searching for him for more than a month, a state police official said.
The rise of Singh, a preacher in the northwestern state of Punjab where Sikhs are in the majority, has revived talk of an independent Sikh homeland.
“Amritpal Singh has been arrested from the Rode village in Moga district, Punjab on the basis of specific intelligence,” Sukhchain Singh Gill, a top official of the Punjab police told reporters.
The arrest of Amritpal Singh, 30 — who leads a group called Waris Punjab De (the heirs of Punjab)– comes after the Khalistan leader along with hundreds of his supporters stormed a police station, demanding the release of one of his aides.
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In March, while police searched for Singh, Indian authorities blocked internet access for about 27 million people in the state of Punjab, one of the country’s most extensive blackouts in recent years.
According to Indian media, Punjab Police on Sunday urged people to maintain peace and harmony and refrain from sharing any fake news after the arrest of Singh.