Radical preacher Amritpal Singh's close aide Papalpreet Singh arrested

Radical preacher Amritpal Singh's close aide Papalpreet Singh was nabbed in Amritsar district and detained under the National Security Act, police said on Monday. Addressing the media in Chandigarh, Punjab Police Inspector General (Headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill said, “He (Papalpreet) is the main associate of Amritpal Singh. He has been arrested from Kathunangal area in Amritsar." He said Papalpreet has been detained under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) and that six other cases have also been registered against him. Papalpreet is considered to be Amritpal's mentor and has allegedly been in contact with Pakistan's ISI.

Gill said further legal action will be taken against Papalpreet.The police had been conducting searches at many places, including Hoshiarpur, to nab the duo who had been hoodwinking the securitymen since March 18 when police had launched a crackdown against the Khalistan sympathiser and his aides.  Papalpreet's arrest comes days after a CCTV footage made the rounds on social media in which he could be seen at a 'dera' (place for religious congregation) in a village in Hoshiarpur.  Amritpal and Papalpreet had been on the run since March 18 when the Punjab Police launched a crackdown against the Khalistan sympathiser and his aides. The radical preacher escaped the police net in Jalandhar district on March 18, switching vehicles and changing appearances. He and his associates have been booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants.