Dibrugarh: Waris Punjab De chief and Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh was formally re-arrested by a team of Punjab Police on Thursday, hours after his three-year detention under the National Security Act (NSA) expired at midnight. He has been taken into two-day police custody and will be interrogated at the Dibrugarh police station in connection with the Ajnala police station attack case of February 2023.
Details of the Rearrest
Amritpal Singh’s NSA detention had kept him confined in the high-security Dibrugarh Central Jail since April 23, 2023. Following the expiry of his detention at midnight on Wednesday, the Punjab Police team — stationed in Dibrugarh since April 19 — executed the formal re-arrest on Thursday morning. He was subsequently transferred from Dibrugarh Central Jail to the Dibrugarh Police Station, a distance of around 800 metres, under heavy security cover.
An 11-vehicle convoy comprising Punjab Police personnel, Assam Police officers, and commandos escorted him during the transfer. A DSP-ranked Punjab Police officer led the team, while Dibrugarh additional SP (crime) Atul Kumar oversaw the operation.
Legal Proceedings and Statements
Speaking to reporters, Amritpal Singh’s lawyer Jasbir Kaur said, “Amritpal Singh has been taken into two days’ police custody by Punjab Police. He will be interrogated by the Punjab Police team at Dibrugarh Police Station in connection with the Ajnala police station attack case. After that, he will be brought back to Dibrugarh Central Jail and kept there.” She added that all subsequent trial proceedings would be conducted through video-conferencing from Punjab, as permitted by the Punjab and Haryana high court.
The Ajnala Case and Other Charges
The Ajnala case has remained pending for over three years due to Amritpal’s NSA detention. The FIR was registered on February 24, 2023, following an incident in which Amritpal and his supporters allegedly broke through barricades, entered the Ajnala police station on the outskirts of Amritsar, and clashed with police to secure the release of an aide. Charges have been framed against 41 accused persons, including Amritpal, under multiple IPC sections — attempt to murder (307), criminal conspiracy (120B), assault on public servants (353), rioting (148), and unlawful assembly (149) — along with Section 25 of the Arms Act.
With the formal arrest, the trial in the Ajnala case is now expected to proceed. The Punjab and Haryana high court had last week permitted the Punjab government to arrest Amritpal after the expiry of his NSA detention, while allowing him to remain lodged in Dibrugarh jail. The court also directed that all proceedings, including police and judicial remand, be conducted through video-conferencing.
Apart from the Ajnala case, at least 12 other FIRs are pending against Amritpal and his associates across Amritsar (Rural), Jalandhar, and Moga, related to incidents of violence and intimidation. He is also named as the alleged main conspirator in the murder of social media influencer Gurpreet Singh, alias Hari Nau, who was shot dead in Kotkapura on October 9, 2024.
Political Background
Amritpal won the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 general elections as an Independent candidate while lodged in Dibrugarh jail and was administered the oath of office on July 5, 2024 — the only occasion he has attended Parliament. Two subsequent pleas for parole to attend Parliamentary sessions were rejected by the Punjab and Haryana high court.
After the two-day police remand, Amritpal Singh will be returned to Dibrugarh Central Jail, where he will continue to be lodged during the course of the trial.
