On March 13, Punjab Police arrested an alleged associate of Waris Punjab De chief and controversial pro-Khalistan Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh in a car theft case. The person has been identified as Sukhminder Singh, a resident of the village Dodhike in Moga, Punjab.
As per reports, the accused stole a Hyundai i20 car near Alpha One in Amritsar. The police have not released any statement on the matter. A report in Dainik Bhaskar suggests that the accused is alleged to be Amritpal Singh’s associate. He claimed to have come to Amritsar only for Amritpal.
Dainik Bhaskar quoted unnamed sources who provided the details of the incident. On the intervening night of March 4-5, Sukhminder Singh and his five associates stole a car from a young man and beat him up. He was rushed to the hospital for treatment. In his statement, the victim told the police that six people dressed as Nihangs snatched the car from him.
Amritpal refused to recognize Sukhminder
On the other hand, Amritpal Singh has denied any association with Sukhminder. He claimed if someone meets him and later commits a crime, that does not mean the accused is close to him. Amritpal Singh is already having clashes with the state government on multiple fronts. Recently, the state authorities cancelled several arm licenses of his associates. Furthermore, it has been reported that one of Singh’s uncles Harjit Singh is also on the list of those who may lose the arms license. Harjit was part of the mob that attacked the police station in Ajnala on February 23.
Amritpal Singh has claimed there is a well-planned conspiracy to disarm Sikhs. He said, “When the Panth needs them, they should stand by it… like General Shubegh Singh, who chose to side with the Panth in their time of need. This is possible if the youth study Sikh religion at an early age.” He further claimed the ‘Panth’ was going through a crisis and urged his followers to hold religious functions like Guru Parchar and Gurmat Sangat.
