Chandigarh: Family members of radical preacher Amritpal Singh, who was arrested from Punjab’s Moga district Sunday morning, said they felt relieved on seeing him after more than a month and would fight their legal battle.
“We came to know through the media at 7:15 am that he has been arrested,” Amritpal’s uncle Sukhchain Singh said in Amritsar.
“Today, the family is feeling worry-free. We have seen him (Amritpal),” he said.
Replying to a question, Amritpal’s uncle said the family will go to Assam’s Dibrugarh and meet him. “We will fight our legal battle,” he further said.
“Police said that Amritpal was arrested while Jasbir Singh Rode, former Jathedar of the Akal Takht, said he surrendered. It will be clear in a day or two,” Sukhchain Singh said.
The Punjab Police arrested Amritpal Singh in Moga’s Rode village early Sunday, ending an over a month-long manhunt against the radical preacher who styled himself after slain Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
The preacher was taken into custody at 6.45 am as he came out of the gurdwara in Rode, Bhindranwale’s native village and also the place where he himself took over last year as the chief of Waris Punjab De. He was later flown by a special flight from Bathinda air force station to Dibrugarh in Assam and lodged in a high security prison.
Amritpal’s father Tarsem Singh said they were proud of him, and claimed that his son surrendered before the police.
“We were happy to see his face after 36 days,” the father said.
Asked if there were apprehensions that Amritpal had shorn his hair, Tarsem Singh said, “We were sure that it would not happen.”
Amritpal’s mother Balwinder Kaur said that they were proud that he has surrendered. “We are proud that he surrendered at the place where his turban-tying ceremony was held,” said Kaur.
“We are happy that our son surrendered while being in full ‘Sikhi sarup’ (not having shorn his hair),” she said, adding that Amritpal even shared a video in which he said he would surrender.
PTI