Amid reports that pro-Khalistani radical preacher Amritpal Singh might have escaped to Nepal, CCTV footage emerged that showed him taking a stroll in Delhi.
The fugitive chief of the pro-Khalistani Waris Punjab De was seen without his turban and with a mask covering his face.
Delhi Police sources confirmed that the CCTV footage indeed showed the presence of Amritpal Singh. The police also suspected that his aide Pappalpreet Singh, followed him with a mask over his face.
The CCTV footage is from March 21 and is suspected to be from the Mayur Vihar area.
While Pappalpreet Singh is seen to be wearing a turban, Amritpal is wearing a denim jacket and sunglasses. The police said this might be an attempt to disguise their identities.
Amritpal has been on the run from the Punjab Police for more than a week now. The Punjab Police have announced a reward and also issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) against Amritpal for his anti-India activities.
On Monday, a photograph of him with Pappalpreet, drinking an energy drink, appeared on social media. The Punjab Police later said that the photograph might be from the second day of his run.
In February, Amritpal led hundreds of his supporters to storm the Ajnala police station in Amritsar and force police to release their comrade – a man arrested in a kidnapping case.
They also caused injuries to at least six Punjab Police personnel during their siege of the Ajnala police station.
Police have arrested or detained more than 200 supporters and aides of Amritpal so far, even as the crackdown continues.
Police said Amritpal used to make provocative speeches to incite the Sikhs, ridiculing them for being “slaves” and exhorting them to break free. In his speeches, Amritpal would often blame “the Indian state” for drug problems in Punjab and the miseries of the community.
In November, Amritpal opened a de-addiction centre in his village and would give massages to addicted youths himself. This is to project himself as a messiah.
Amritpal also propagated a very simple solution to Punjab’s drug problem: Sikh gurus and faith in them can cure such conditions.
However, his lies were exposed when the Punjab Police arrested his henchmen. During interrogation, the arrested accomplices of Amritpal said that they sold drugs to raise money for arms and ammunition to revive militancy in Punjab.