A day after hundreds of sword brandishing youth stormed a police station in the border district of Amritsar, a close associate of self-styled pro-Khalistani preacher Amrit Singh, Lovepreet Singh Tufan was released from Amritsar jail on Friday.
Court accepted his discharge application and he was released, a day Amritpal , the chief of a radical Sikh organisation called “Waris Punjab De”and his supporters stormed the Ajnala police station near Amritsar.
Lovepreet Singh Tufan was arrested on charges of kidnapping.
Amritpal’s supporters had broken into barricades and clashed with police, injuring at least six policemen. The crisis continued till the time top officers, including Amritsar Police Commissioner Jaskarn Singh and SSP (Rural) Satinder Singh, had reached the police station and negotiated Lovely’s release with Amritpal. The police gave into the demand of the group.
The clashes between members of “Waris Punjab de” and the Police brought back memories of militancy years in Punjab and the peak of Khalistani movement.
Amritpal became the head of the “Waris Punjab de” after the death of its founder Deep Sidhu in a road accident last year. The organisation was floated before Punjab elections. Waris Punjab de was responsible for the mayhem at Red Fort during farmer’s protests.
Sidhu hoisted the Sikh flag at Red Fort during the farmers’ protest march on Republic day in 2021. He was also booked by Delhi police for his alleged role in the violence on the same day.
Amritpal came from Dubai to take over as the chief of Waris Punjab de. He dresses and talks like Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.