Punjab Government To Release Seven Aides Of Amritpal Singh From NSA Detention

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab has decided against extending the detention of at least seven associates of pro-Khalistani leader and MP Amritpal Singh under the National Security Act (NSA). These individuals are currently held in Assam's Dibrugarh jail alongside Amritpal Singh.

Starting Monday, these detainees will be transferred from Dibrugarh back to Punjab, where they will face legal proceedings for cases registered against them. The transfer will follow all required departmental protocols.

While the Punjab government had extended the NSA detention of Amritpal Singh and nine of his associates for another year in June 2024, it has now chosen not to renew the detention orders for seven of these aides. The NSA allows authorities to detain individuals for up to 12 months without formal charges.

Amritpal Singh, who heads the Waris Punjab De organization, was apprehended on April 23, 2023, in a village in Moga district after a month-long manhunt. His arrest followed a coordinated operation by Punjab Police and central agencies that began on March 18, 2023. Due to security concerns, both Singh and his associates were detained in Dibrugarh jail under the NSA.

The Punjab Police are now preparing significant action related to the Ajnala police station attack case, where Amritpal Singh allegedly led an armed mob of 200-250 supporters in an assault on the facility to secure the release of one of his associates.