A court in Punjab’s Ajnala on Friday ordered discharge from custody of kidnapping accused Lovepreet Singh, a day after supporters of radical preacher Amritpal Singh stormed the police station here demanding release of his aide. A Punjab police DSP moved an application before the court for releasing Lovepreet Singh alias Toofan from custody and from discharging him on grounds that he was not involved in the said case and not present at the time of commission of offence.
Since the accused is no more required by the investigating officer for judicial custody, Lovepreet Singh is discharged from custody only and be released, Manpreet Kaur, Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate, Ajnala, said in her order.
Who is Amritpal Singh?
Donning a flowing white chola and a navy blue turban and often escorted by armed supporters, radical preacher and Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh has been quite active in Punjab for some time. Read more on this here
On Thursday, the 29-year-old’s supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and stormed a police station in Ajnala on the outskirts of Amritsar city, demanding that Lovepreet Singh alias Toofan, an accused in a case involving kidnapping, be released. A few policemen were injured during the clash, according to officials.
#WATCH | Punjab: Supporters of 'Waris Punjab De' Chief Amritpal Singh break through police barricades with swords and guns outside Ajnala PS in AmritsarThey've gathered outside the PS in order to protest against the arrest of his (Amritpal Singh) close aide Lovepreet Toofan. pic.twitter.com/yhE8XkwYOO
— ANI (@ANI) February 23, 2023
A case was registered against Amritpal Singh and his 30 supporters for allegedly kidnapping and thrashing Barinder Singh, a resident of Chamkaur Sahib in Rupnagar district.
Dubai-returned Amritpal Singh, often described as a Khalistan sympathiser, was recently anointed the head of ‘Waris Punjab De‘, the organisation founded by actor and activist Deep Sidhu who died in a road accident in February last year.
What is Waris Punjab De?
WPD was founded by Pollywood actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu, a supporter of Simranjit Singh Mann, who died in a road accident in Haryana early this year while driving to Punjab from Delhi along with his Indian-origin American girlfriend Reena Rai.
The arrested shooter Sandeep Singh Sunny, a resident of Kashmir Avenue, Sultanwind, Amritsar was a member of the WPD.
Sidhu laid the foundation of ‘Waris Punjab De’ in Chandigarh eight months after the Republic Day incident, said a report by Free Press Journal. During his launch event, he stated that the organisation would “fight for Punjab’s rights against the Centre and raise voice anytime there is any attack on Punjab’s culture, language, social fabric, and rights.”
Soon after establishing his organisation, Sidhu expressed his support for Simranjit Singh Mann’s extremist pro-Khalistan party SAD (Amritsar) and campaigned for them ahead of the Punjab elections.
Sidhu, on the other hand, died in a car accident on February 15, 2022, just five days before the state elections. Simranjit Singh Mann has requested a judicial investigation into Sidhu’s death.
Once Amritpal Singh assumed control of ‘Waris Punjab De’, Sidhu’s family distanced themselves from Amritpal, claiming that he was never nominated as the leader of their son’s organisation, said the report.
Why Was Lovepreet Held?
Amritpal Singh and 30 of his friends were charged with kidnapping and thrashing Barinder Singh, a resident of Chamkaur Sahib in Rupnagar district. His supporters, including Toofan’s family, claim that he is innocent and that he has been wrongly linked to the incident.
With inputs from PTI
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