‘Drugs in every Punjab home’: Father defends Amritpal Singh | Latest News India

While Amritpal Singh has not been located, his father, Tarsem Singh, said the family did not know the current whereabouts of the head of “Warris Punjab De”. Tarsem also claimed that Punjab police searched her home for three to four hours but found nothing illegal.

The Punjab government on Saturday launched a massive crackdown on Amritpal Singh, a radical Sikh preacher and Khalistan sympathizer, with police arresting 78 members of a group he led.

“We have no correct information about him (Amritpal Singh). The police conducted searches of our home for three to four hours. They didn’t find anything illegal… The police should have arrested him when he left the house in the morning,” Tarsem told ANI news agency.

Tarsem also told reporters that police asked the family to call for Amritpal to surrender. He called the police action “unjustified” and said his son was weaning the youth off drugs. He asked why the police didn’t take action against criminals and those involved in drugs.

Also read: As Punjab Police crackdown on Amritpal Singh, 6 facts about Khalistan leader

“We are concerned that something could happen to him,” The Indian Express quoted Amritpal’s father as saying.

“Police are after Amritpal but are doing nothing to stop drug smugglers. Amritpal came to Punjab just a few months ago. What did they do about the crime before he came?” said Tarsem.

“Amritpal works against drugs. So there is political pressure to arrest him. This action against Amritpal is unjustified. There are drugs in every household. But there is no focus on this topic. If anyone tries to end the drug threat, they will be stopped,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.

Massive crackdown to arrest Amritpal Singh

Despite the Punjab police’s massive crackdown on Amritpal Singh, the elusive preacher himself eluded the police and escaped their dragnet when his cavalcade was intercepted in Jalandhar district, despite authorities beefing up security in several locations and cutting internet and SMS services in the State suspended by Sunday noon.

Police said they had launched a “massive nationwide cordon and search operation (CASO)” in the state against elements of the Waris Punjab De led by Singh, against whom multiple criminal cases had been registered.

The police action came a day before the start of Amritpal’s “Khalsa Wahir” – a religious procession – from Muktsar district.

Some supporters of Waris Punjab De Chief shared some videos on social media claiming police officers were following them. Video also showed Amritpal sitting in a vehicle and one of his aides could be heard police officers chasing “Bhai saab” (Amritpal).

Nine weapons have been seized during the nationwide operation so far, including a .315-caliber rifle, seven 12-caliber rifles, a revolver and 373 live ammunition of various calibers, police said.

(With inputs from ANI, PTI)