Cell, web providers suspended as Indian police launch manhunt to arrest outstanding Sikh chief – World

Cell and web providers had been suspended in a number of areas of India’s Punjab on Sunday because the police launched what it known as a “manhunt” for outstanding Sikh chief Amritpal Singh, Indian media reported.

India media describes him as a “Khalistani leader”.

In accordance with a Scroll.in report, statewide “cordon-and-search operations” had been launched in opposition to Singh’s organisation Waris Punjab De on Saturday.

“As a part of the operations, 78 individuals have been arrested and a number of other extra have been detained,” it quoted the police as saying.

On Sunday, India Right this moment reported that safety has been beefed up throughout Indian Punjab because the seek for Singh continued for the second day.

“[The] father of Amritpal Singh, who was declared a fugitive by the Jalandhar Commissioner on Saturday (March 18), mentioned the Punjab Police carried out searches at his residence in Amritsar however didn’t discover something unlawful,” it mentioned.

“We don’t have any details about his whereabouts. They carried out a search at our residence for 3-4 hours however didn’t discover something unlawful. Police ought to have arrested him earlier than he left dwelling,” the report quoted Singh’s father as saying.

In the meantime, The Wire mentioned Part 144 of the Indian Code of Prison Process, which prohibits the meeting of 5 or extra individuals, has been imposed in lots of districts of Punjab — together with Sri Muktsar Sahib and Fazilika, two of the six border districts of Punjab.

“Heavy police deployment was made in all district headquarters, together with Singh’s hometown close to Amritsar. The paramilitary forces have sealed off the Jallupur khera, which is Amritpal Singh’s native village,” it said.

The report additionally mentioned that cell web and SMS providers in a number of districts of Punjab have been suspended until at the moment afternoon.

The motion in opposition to Sindh, in line with The Wire, comes after he and his employees “laid siege to a police station” in Amritsar’s Anjala to “free certainly one of his aides”.

“The federal government confirmed that the motion in opposition to him and his supporters was linked to his assault on the Anjala police station final month,” The Wire mentioned.

The media outlet added in its report {that a} first info report (FIR) had additionally been filed in opposition to Singh and his supporters final month “for his or her involvement in 4 felony instances regarding spreading disharmony amongst courses, try and homicide, attacking police individuals and creating obstructions within the lawful discharge of duties of public servants”.