As police pursue Amritpal Singh in Punjab, mobile internet and SMS services are expanded
As the police labor to apprehend Khalistani sympathizer Amritpal Singh and his associates, all mobile internet services, SMS, and dongle services—aside from voice calls—provided by mobile networks have been suspended throughout Punjab.
In the interest of public safety, all mobile internet services, all SMS services (aside from banking and mobile recharge), and all dongle services offered on mobile networks, excluding voice calls, have been suspended until March 20 (12:00 a.m.), according to a statement from the Punjabi government's Department of Home Affairs and Justice.
Amritpal Singh, a radical Sikh preacher and supporter of Khalistan, was the target of a major crackdown on Saturday by the Punjab administration.
Amritpal Singh, a radical Sikh preacher and supporter of Khalistan, came under intense pressure from the Punjab administration on Saturday, and police detained 78 members of an organization he led.
Even though authorities tightened security at several locations and halted internet and SMS services in the state until Sunday midday, the elusive preacher himself managed to elude their net when his cavalcade was intercepted in the Jalandhar district.
The Waris Punjab De (WPD), led by Singh, was the target of a "massive state-wide cordon and search operations (CASO)" initiated by the police, for which several criminal cases had already been filed. A total of 78 people has been detained so far during the investigation, and several others have reportedly been held in custody for interrogation.
According to a police spokesperson, Amritpal Singh and other suspects have fled and a massive manhunt has been started to find them. The police move was taken a day before Amritpal Singh's "Khalsa Wahir," a religious procession, from the Muktsar district was scheduled to begin.
Amritpal Singh's hometown of Amritsar saw a significant deployment of security personnel in the area of Jallupur Khera for the mission.
Nine weapons, including one.315 bore rifle, seven 12 bore rifles, one revolver, and 373 live rounds of various calibers have so far been found during the statewide operation.
reportedly been held in custody for interrogation.
According to a police spokesperson, Amritpal Singh and other suspects have fled and a massive manhunt has been started to find them. The police move was taken a day before Amritpal Singh's "Khalsa Wahir," a religious procession, from the Muktsar district was scheduled to begin.
Amritpal Singh's hometown of Amritsar saw a significant deployment of security personnel in the area of Jallupur Khera for the mission.
Nine weapons, including one.315 bore rifle, seven 12 bore rifles, one revolver, and 373 live rounds of various calibers have so far been found during the statewide operation.
The accused advisor and financier of "Waris Punjab De" leader Amritpal Singh, Daljeet Singh Kalsi alias Sarabjeet Singh Kalsi, was detained by the Punjab Police on Sunday.