India captures Sikh separatist leader after more than a month of hunting

The rise of Singh, a preacher in the Sikh-majority northwestern state of Punjab, has reignited calls for Sikh independence and fears of a return to the violence that killed tens of thousands of people in the 1980s and early 1990s during a Sikh insurgency.

Indian police arrest Sikh separatist after more than a month of hiding — Amritpal Singh, center, was seen at the Golden Temple with supporters in Amritsar, India on March 3, 2023. Photo: Reuters

"Amritpal Singh was arrested from Rode village in Moga district of Punjab on the basis of intelligence," Sukhchain Singh Gill, a top official of Punjab police, told reporters.

The arrest of Amritpal Singh, 30 - the leader of a group called Waris Punjab De (Heirs of Punjab) - came after the self-styled preacher and hundreds of his supporters stormed a police station with swords and guns, demanding the release of one of his aides.

Police have charged Singh and his supporters with attempted murder, obstructing law enforcement and creating discord, and said he has been on the run since mid-March.

Singh was arrested in the village of Gurudwara, a Sikh temple, under the National Security Act, which allows the arrest of people deemed a threat to national security. Gill said Singh would be transferred to Dibrugarh in Assam state, where some of his associates are already in jail.

Hoang Anh (according to Reuters)

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