NEW DELHI: Amritpal Singh may be projecting himself as a pro-Khalistan leader fighting for Sikh pride, but inputs gathered by intelligence agencies point to his having been “planted” by Pakistan’s ISI, , with the twin objectives of whipping up separatist sentiments in Punjab to open a new front alongside terror-hit Kashmir and also to facilitate trafficking of drugs and arms from Pakistan into India.
Amritpal, said an officer, is aligned with several known terrorists and drug dealers smuggling narcotics and arms into India. One of them is Jaswant Singh Rode, whose brother Lakhbir Singh Rode is allegedly involved in trafficking drugs from Pakistan into India. This has added to the suspicion that the Waris Punjab De (WPD) leader, who has projected himself as an anti-drugs crusader, may actually be involved in narco-tarde.
That there has been an increase in drones carrying drugs from across the border since Amritpal arrived in Punjab is not being seen as a coincidence. As many as 256 drone sightings were reported by BSF in Punjab — mostly in Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Ferozepur — in 2022, up from 67 in 2021. Incidentally, Amritpal’s native village is located near Amritsar.
Amritpal’s London-based handler Avtar Singh Khanda has links with terrorist and BKI chief Paramjeet Singh Pamma, who is accused of sending drugs to India. The WPD chief is also known to share cross-border linkages with drug dealers based in Pakistan like Billa, Bilal, Rana etc. Another terrorist behind Amritpal’s rise is Harvinder Singh Rinda whose network is said to extend from Punjab to Maharashtra.
Ravel Singh, who had given his Mercedes car to Amritpal for his use, is also under the scanner for alleged links with drug trade.
Sources in the Central security establishment said the National Security Act was invoked against Amritpal due to his alleged designs to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere of Punjab through crimes like abduction and assault of another Sikh Varinder Singh; openly defying the authorities during Ajnala incident and injuring policemen; and indulging in ‘beadbi’ (sacrilege) by resorting to vandalism in gurdwaras in Kapurthala and Jalandhar. He also allegedly made provocative speeches against Jesus Christ and Hindu Gods/Goddesses and used youth for violence and promoting gun culture by naming his private militia as Anandpur Khalsa Fauj/AKF. Not only this, Amritpal and his aides sought to defy the order of Punjab government not to display weapons in the open, and beat youth lodged in “drug de-addiction centers” run by his outfit Waris Punjab De (WPD) who refused to subscribe to their radical and violent ideology.
Amritpal is suspected to have a role in murder of Hindu activist Sudhir Suri in November 2022 in Amritsar. The self-radicalised killer was allegedly an associate of Amritpal and even had an AKF sticker on his car. A source said Amritpal met the killer four days before the murder.
Some arrested WPD associates of Amritpal were sent to prisons outside the state as there was apprehension that they if lodged in jails in Punjab, they could indulge in a jailbreak, radicalise other jailed criminals and associate them with AKF, create a law and order situation by mobilising support; and run their criminal activities behind the bars.
“Had action not been taken under NSA, goons of WPD would have continued their unlawful activities. An officer claimed that Amritpal and WPD are not saviours of the Sikh panth but only a team of criminally-inclined individuals who have joined hands with the common and selfish aim of making money and attaining power in a short time. On this team are Amritpal, a truck driver who had shorn hair till a few months back and lived a modern life in Dubai; actor Daljit Kalsi involved in financial fraud and who made 18 trips to Thailand, a ‘pleasure’ destination, between 2007 and 2020; Papalpreet, a small time reporter; and Gurmeet Bukkanwala who owns a furniture shop.
“They capitalized on the sudden death of Deep Sidhu and took its benefit for their personal rise to power,” said an officer.
Source: The Times of India
