Amritpal Singh, the leader of Waris Punjab De, was trained by Pakistan’s ISI spy agency in Georgia before coming to India and had close ties to Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), officials in India’s counter-terrorism apparatus said, citing them to new insights from the activities of the group.
Amritsar Police held a flag march on Heritage Street near the Golden Temple on Sunday amid crackdowns on Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh and his aides. (PTI) {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}}
The claims come at a time when Punjab police have launched a manhunt for the secessionist activist and appear to reinforce the government’s assessment that Amritpal Singh – who has openly supported calls for a separate Khalistan to secede from India – is part of a Pakistan’s conspiracy is to revive militancy in border state.
A person aware of the intelligence analysis said key pieces of the conspiracy were pieced together in Dubai. “While in Dubai, a hub for ISI agents, Amritpal Singh was offered money as part of a well thought out plan to revive militancy in the Punjab. He was sent to Georgia for training by the ISI before his flight to India,” an official said Sunday, asking not to be named.
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“Amritpal Singh also has ties to SFJ and has even championed its activities on social media,” he added, identifying Khalistani activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun as a close contact for Amritpal.
Pannun has been classified as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) by the Indian government.
Authorities have also found that Amritpal Singh ran a drug smuggling network in India, backed by “known connections” in ISI – Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence – and set up a “private militia” in Punjab’s drug addiction centres. where weapons procured from Pakistan were stored.
Indeed, since he came to India in September 2022, there has been a wave of drone strikes from across the border to drop drugs and weapons.
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A second anti-terrorist official detailed his activities related to drugs and weapons, saying Amritpal brings drugs into India through Jaswant Singh Rode, brother of Lakhbir Singh Rode (based in Pakistan) as well as his main supervisor in the UK, Avtar Singh Khanda Link Paramjeet Singh Pamma.
“He also has ties to drug smugglers across the border, who are identified by their pseudonyms – Billa, Bilal and Rana,” the official said.
A Mercedes car he was driving in Punjab was said to have been given to him by a drug dealer identified as Ravel Singh.
Investigations, the first official said, have revealed that drug cessation centers that Waris Punjab De claimed to run had become centers for “building a private militia as Amritpal Singh staff inculcated radical ideas on inmates who were in a… should be used”. should be an appropriate time to create a law and order issue”.
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“Weapons were stored in these drug control centers,” he said.
To prolong the drug addiction of inmates at these centers, Amritpal procured cheap, substandard antidotes.
According to the authorities, the Anandpur Khalsa Fauj (AKF), which he founded, “embezzled funds on behalf of Khalistan”. His uncle Harjit Singh helped with the embezzlement, the official added.
As part of the conspiracy to revive militancy, Singh and his AKF not only defied government orders to openly display guns, but actively ushered youth into a “gun culture,” a third official asked not to be called .
This official said that Amritpal Singh planned his second phase of Khalsa Waheer campaign (to go to the villages) from Muktsar Sahib (on March 19) to Damdama Sahib (Baisakhi), thereby expanding his influence in Malwa region became aware to mark the anniversary of the death of singer Sidhu Moosewala.
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Officials added that Singh “usurped” actor Deep Sidhu’s legacy as he made no effort to meet his family.
