Amritpal aide says group was involved in anti-national activities: Police

Punjab Police Thursday said some sensitive material recovered from an associate of radical preacher Amritpal Singh indicates that they were involved in "anti-national" activities.

Earlier in the day, Khanna Police said they had arrested one Tejinder Singh Gill who was part of the private security of the Khalistan sympathizer.

Addressing the media here, Punjab Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill said questioning Tejinder Singh Gill, police got some sensitive material which indicates that the group was involved in "anti-national" activities.

"During his questioning and from his mobile analysis, several facts came to light which show they were involved in anti-national activities," he said.

"There were videos which show that they were doing firing practice near Jallupur Khera. Some footage and pictures show that they have made holograms of Anandpur Khalsa Fauj (AKF). There were some videos of the loading and unloading of weapons," he said.

The evidence obtained so far give a strong suspicion that Amritpal Singh had a cross-border link, added Gill.

The IG said so far 207 persons have been detained in the matter, out of which, 30 are hardcore criminals. The remaining 177 will be released after verification, he added.

There are clear instructions that no innocent can be booked in this matter. Action will be taken only against those who were involved in criminal activities, he said.

Gill said that Baljit Kaur arrested from Shahbad in Kurukshetra (Haryana) had allegedly harboured Amritpal and his close-aide Papalpreet Singh on March 19.

Kaur had known Papalpreet for more than two years, he said.

Authorities had last week suspended internet and SMS services in the state following the police crackdown against elements of 'Waris Punjab De,' headed by radical preacher Amritpal Singh.

The preacher himself, however, gave the police a slip and escaped their dragnet when his cavalcade was intercepted in the Jalandhar district.

Police have said that efforts were on to nab the fugitive preacher.