Haryana woman arrested for sheltering Amritpal Singh and his aide
What's the story
Haryana Police arrested a woman identified as Baljit Kaur from Shahabad-Markanda town in Kurukshetra district on charges of sheltering fugitive pro-Khalistan preacher and Waris Punjab De head Amritpal Singh and his aide Papalpreet Singh at her residence. Singh and his aide reportedly stayed at her house on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. On Thursday, Haryana Police handed her over to Punjab Police.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The search for Singh, which started in Punjab, entered the seventh day on Friday and it has been extended to nearby states. The action was initiated nearly a month after he and his supporters attacked Punjab's Ajnala Police Station with swords and guns to free one of their arrested aides. Intelligence agencies claim Singh is an agent of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Baljeet
Baljit Kaur was in Papalpreet's contact for last two years
Reportedly, Kaur was in contact with Papalpreet for the last two years, and he visited her home several times. She told police that they arrived on a scooter and spent the night at her house, adding that Singh changed his clothes before leaving. She also told the police that she overheard Singh making some calls, which indicated that he might move to Uttarakhand next.
Details
Uttarakhand Police put on alert
Following this, Uttarakhand Police were put on alert. Kaur, an MBA graduate, was reportedly in contact with Papalpreet. Her brother informed the police about Singh. Earlier, Singh was reported to have visited a gurudwara in Punjab's Nangal Ambian village with four of his associates, after which they drove to Sheikhpura and crossed into Haryana in a truck.
Kin
Singh's wife accused of securing foreign funds
Earlier, the Punjab Police questioned Singh's mother, father, and wife, Kirandeep Kaur, who is alleged to be involved in securing foreign funds for Waris Punjab De. Singh's brother, Happy, was also on the run, according to the police. Notably, Singh married Kaur, an NRI from the United Kingdom (UK), in February and announced that they would stay back in India.