'Amritpal Singh was surrounded, had no way to escape': Punjab Police on radical preacher's arrest

Amritpal Singh was arrested by the Punjab Police at around 6:45 am from village Rode after absconding for more than one month.

Radical preacher Amritpal Singh was on Sunday (April 23) arrested in Rode village of Punjab's Moga district after police personnel surrounded him, leaving him with no way to escape, a senior Punjab Police official said.

Addressing a press conference, Inspector General of Police, Sukhchain Singh Gill said that Amritpal Singh has been taken to Dibrugarh in Assam under NSA.

"National Security Act (NSA) warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and these have been executed today morning. Further law will take its own course," Gill said.

Amritpal Singh was arrested by the Punjab Police at around 6:45 am from village Rode after absconding for more than one month.

"A joint operation was conducted by the Amritsar Police and intelligence wing of Punjab Police. He was located in village Rode based on operational inputs by Punjab Police. He was surrounded from all sides, the village was surrounded by Punjab police," Gill said.

Police did not enter the gurudwara in which Amritpal was present to maintain its sanctity. 

"To maintain sanctity, the police did not enter the gurdwara and since he knew that he had no way to escape now, he was surrounded by Punjab Police. The village was surrounded by Punjab Police from all sides," he said.

Slain militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale hailed from Rode village and Amritpal Singh was last year anointed the head of 'Waris Punjab De' outfit at an event held in this village.

(With inputs from PTI)