Punjab government has informed the high court that efforts are underway to apprehend Amritpal Singh, a fugitive leader of the radical Sikh group Waris Punjab De. The police operation to catch Singh is being carried out in close coordination with intelligence agencies. The report also states that a habeas corpus petition seeking the release and production of Singh was heard in court, where the petitioner claimed to have footage establishing Singh’s presence at a police station on March 18.
The court asked the petitioner’s lawyer to provide evidence in writing to support the claim. The state advocate general requested that the arguments should be limited to the alleged illegal detention, and the court responded by saying that statements should not go beyond the pleadings in the petitions filed before the bench. court’s observation on March 23, during the last hearing, that Amritpal Singh had managed to escape despite the state government having 80,000 police officers at its disposal had caused ripples and criticism of the state’s role from various quarters.
It appears that the court’s observation was made in response to the fact that Singh, who has been on the run since March 18, had not been apprehended despite the state’s efforts. The observation may have raised concerns about the effectiveness of the state’s law enforcement machinery and their ability to maintain law and order in the state.
