Mobile internet and SMS services will remain suspended from March 21 noon to March 23 noon in Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Moga and Sangrur districts; Ajnala sub-division in Amritsar district; and areas adjoining YPS Chowk and Airport Road in SAS Nagar district, the Punjab Government announced as the massive crackdown against Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh entered the fourth day.
Mobile internet services in the remaining areas of the state will start functioning normally from Tuesday noon, March 21.
These services had been suspended thrice after the crackdown on ‘Waris Punjab De’ head Amritpal Singh and his associates. The state authorities had on Saturday suspended the internet and SMS services in the state till Sunday noon. Later, the curbs were extended till Monday noon and after that till Tuesday.
What has happened in the hunt for Amritpal Singh so far:
1. 'Waris Punjab De' (WPD) chief Amritpal Singh's uncle Harjeet Singh was brought to Central jail in Dibrugarh on Tuesday. Harjit Singh along with driver Harpreet Singh surrendered before the police near Bullandpur gurdwara in Jalandhar's Mehatpur area.
2. Harjit Singh, who officials say helped his nephew gain control over the accounts of WPD, is among the five people slapped with the National Security Act (NSA), which allows the preventive detention of anyone who could threaten national security or public order, as per ANI.
3. Four WPD members were brought to the Dibrugarh central jail on Sunday after the Punjab government on Saturday began a major crackdown on the outfit, headed by Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal, who is wanted in several criminal cases. They are Daljit Singh Kalsi, Bhagwant Singh, Gurmeet Singh and 'Pradhanmantri' Bajeka.
4. About 114 people have been arrested so far since the crackdown was launched, as per the Punjab police.
5. Uttarakhand Police Headquarters told ANI that the state police is also on full alert mode regarding absconding pro-Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh from Punjab. As per the police headquarters, a strict vigil is being kept by the police and intelligence department in Udham Singh Nagar district of the state.
6. Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sukhchain Gill said the police have a strong suspicion of the involvement of Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). "We have a very strong suspicion of an ISI angle, based on the facts and circumstances that have come to light so far. We also have a very strong suspicion of foreign funding. Going by the circumstances, it seems that ISI is involved and there is foreign funding as well," he added.
7. The vehicle used by Amritpal Singh for his escape was seized by Punjab Police on Sunday, along with several other vehicles and ammunition. SSP Jalandhar Rural, Swarndeep Singh said that the seized vehicle was found abandoned.
8. Security was beefed up around the Indian High Commission in UK on Monday and Scotland Yard detained one person in connection with vandalism at the mission by Khalistan supporters a day earlier as India asked the UK to quickly arrest and prosecute those involved in the attack. The tricolour flying atop the Indian High Commission in London was grabbed at by the protesters waving separatist Khalistan flags and chanting pro-Khalistan slogans on Sunday.
9. A group of pro-Khalistan protesters on Sunday attacked and damaged the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. Raising pro-Khalistan slogans, the protesters broke open the makeshift security barriers raised by the city police and installed two so-called Khalistani flags inside the Consulate premises, as per a PTI report. Two consulate personnel soon removed these flags.
10. In Canberra, Khalistan supporters gathered outside the Australian parliament to protest against police crackdown on radical preacher Amritpal Singh and his associates in Punjab.
The police crackdown came nearly over three weeks after Singh's supporters clashed with uniformed personnel at the Ajnala police station demanding the release of one of Amritpal's close aides, Lovepreet Toofan. Lovepreet Toofan was reportedly arrested for allegedly assaulting and abducting a man.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)
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