New Delhi: Fugitive Khalistan activist Amritpal Singh, who was apparently in hiding in Uttar Pradesh, now escaped to Nepal, according to media reports in the neighbouring country, which also said on Monday that New Delhi had requested authorities in Kathmandu to not allow him to escape to a third country.
In a letter to the department of consular services, the Indian embassy in Kathmandu requested government agencies to arrest the Waris Punjab De chief if he tries to flee Nepal, the Kathmandu Post newspaper reported. There was no confirmation or denial of the report by the Indian authorities.
“Amritpal is currently hiding in Nepal,” the newspaper said, citing a copy of the letter obtained by it.
The letter and Amritpal’s personal details have been circulated to all the agencies concerned, from hotels to airlines, the paper added, citing multiple sources.
Amritpal, who is said to possess multiple passports with different identities, has been on the run since March 18 when the police launched a crackdown against him. The elusive pro-Khalistan Sikh leader had managed to escape after a confrontation with the police following the interception of his cavalcade in Punjab’s Jalandhar district.
Meanwhile, a new picture of Amritpal with his key aide Papalpreet Singh surfaced on social media as another close associate of the radical preacher was detained under the National Security Act.
Papalpreet Singh, who appears in the picture, is said to be Amritpal’s mentor. He was allegedly in contact with Pakistan’s spy agency ISI. In the photo, Amritpal is seen wearing a jacket, a maroon turban and sunglasses. His companion, sitting beside him, is in a sweatshirt.
Amritpal and Papalpreet were allegedly harboured by a woman at her home in Shahabad in Haryana’s Kurukshetra district on March 19, police had earlier said. On March 25, CCTV footage emerged purportedly showing Amritpal talking on a mobile phone. The preacher escaped the police dragnet in Jalandhar district on March 18, switching vehicles and changing appearances.