Indian police have announced the arrest of Amritpal Singh, a Sikh separatist and preacher, following a five-week manhunt. The fugitive was found and arrested in Moga, Punjab, where the majority of the population is Sikh. The police have urged citizens to maintain peace and verify information before sharing it. While police sources have indicated that Singh surrendered himself, Sikh religious leader Jasbir Singh Rodde reported that the 29-year-old surrendered after offering morning prayers at a Sikh shrine in Moga.
Singh and his accomplices had been accused of numerous crimes, including spreading disharmony, attempting murder, attacking police personnel, and obstructing their duties. He first gained notoriety this year with provocative speeches encouraging the formation of Khalistan, a proposed sovereign Sikh state within Indian territory. The movement had been in decline for years until Singh returned to India from abroad in 2022, claiming to draw inspiration from militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
The Khalistani movement was active in the 1980s and led to a series of events that scarred India. The Indian authorities attacked the Golden Temple, the holiest Sikh shrine, to capture Bhindranwale. The attack, intended to be a surgical strike, turned violent when Indian troops encountered resistance from Bhindranwale’s followers. The violence escalated when Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguard in retaliation, leading to the massacre of Sikhs across India in 1984.
Singh currently heads Waris Punjab De, or Punjab’s Heirs, an organization that was part of a massive campaign to mobilize farmers against controversial agriculture reforms being pushed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. His provocative speeches in India and rising support from Punjabi diaspora in Canada, the UK, and the US have increased fears of violence similar to the 1980s.
Authorities attempted to arrest him in mid-March after Singh and his supporters raided a police station armed with swords, knives, and guns to demand the release of his aides, who had been arrested for assault and attempted kidnapping. The preacher escaped arrest by fleeing on a motorcycle. As a fugitive, Singh released a video taunting authorities, saying that he was not afraid of arrest and that nobody could harm him. Singh’s arrest marks a surprising end to the 37-day manhunt. His provocative speeches and growing support had led to fears of renewed violence in the region. The police have not yet released any further details about the arrest.
