The Punjab government has decided against extending the detention of seven close aides of jailed Lok Sabha MP and pro-Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh under the National Security Act (NSA). As a result, the detainees, who were lodged in Assam’s Dibrugarh jail for nearly two years, will be transferred back to Punjab, a senior police official confirmed on Sunday. The seven individuals were arrested in connection with the 2023 Ajnala Police Station attack. Those being moved back to Punjab include Basant Singh, Bhagwant Singh Bajekhana, Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, Sarabjit Kalsi, Ranjeet Kalsi, Gurinder Pal Singh Gurri Aujla, Harjeet Singh (alias Chacha), and Kulwant Singh.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Border Range, Satinder Singh, stated, “At present, we are recording the arrests of these seven individuals and bringing them back to Punjab in connection with the Ajnala case. Further legal proceedings will be decided upon their remand.”Amritpal Singh, who won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate from Punjab’s Khadoor Sahib constituency, has remained a controversial figure. Hailing from Jallu Kheda village in Amritsar, he spent several years in Dubai before returning to Punjab in 2022. He took charge of the pro-Khalistani organization Waris Punjab De after the death of its founder, Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu.
His arrest in April 2023 came after a dramatic standoff in which he and his supporters stormed the Ajnala police station on February 23, 2023, demanding the release of an associate detained for making inflammatory pro-Khalistan statements. The protest escalated into clashes with the police, leading to a nationwide crackdown on Amritpal Singh and his aides.