Pilibhit gurdwara under lens of Punjab Police as search for Amritpal Singh intensifies

Pilibhit, which shares an open border with Nepal, could have helped the absconding Amritpal Singh to sneak into the Himalayan Kingdom

A gurdwara in Pilibhit district of Uttar Pradesh has come under the lens of security agencies and the Punjab Police who are investigating the case related to fugitive extremist and Waris Punjab De leader Amritpal Singh.

The karsevak (volunteer) of the Mohanapur gurdwara in Pilibhit, Joga Singh, had been arrested in Ludhiana in connection with the case after an abandoned vehicle with an Uttarakhand number plate and registered in the name of chief Jathedar of Badhpura gurdwara in Pilibhit, Mohan Singh, was found on March 28.

Following this, when the police and other agencies went to the Pilibhit gurdwara to check the CCTV footage of the premises, it was found that the footage for the evening of March 25 was missing, while the recording since the next day, March 26, was available.

In the footage of March 26, it was found that the suspicious vehicle was seen parked inside the gurdwara compound.

Pilibhit, which shares an open border with Nepal, could have helped the absconding Amritpal Singh to sneak into the Himalayan Kingdom. It is learnt that the security agencies and the Punjab Police have got clear hints that Mr. Singh is in Nepal.

Earlier, The Hindu had reported that the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu “informed” the Nepal Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the fugitive accused is on a “Look Out Circular” in India, and could be in Nepal and might use his own Indian passport or that of another country to escape through Nepal.

The leader of the separatist group Waaris Punjab De is absconding since March 18, when the Punjab Police started a coordinated manhunt to trace and arrest him. Mr. Singh and his followers had earlier stormed into the Ajnala police station in Amritsar on February 23 demanding the release of Waaris Punjab De activist Lovepreet Toofan.