Amritpal Singh case: As many as 348 of the 360 people who were taken into preventive custody during a police crackdown against radical preacher Amritpal Singh have now been freed, Punjab government has informed the Akal Takht. Earlier this week, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh had given an ultimatum to the state government to release all Sikh youths.
Dubai-returned Amritpal Singh and his supporters had stormed into a police station complex and issued an "ultimatum" for the release of his supporter Toofan Singh, who was detained for his alleged role in kidnapping case.
The Akal Takht Jathedar's secretary Jaspal Singh on Thursday said a message was received from the state government that the rest would also be released soon.
The Jathedar had also condemned the state government for invoking the National Security Act against a few people during the police crackdown.
A few days before the Jathedar's ultimatum, the Punjab Police had said that out of those detained, nearly 30 were hardcore criminals. The rest would be released after verification, a senior police official had said.
Meanwhile, police have stepped up security in and around Amritsar and Bathinda amid reports that Amritpal Singh may surrender after entering any of the two Sikh shrines – the Golden Temple in Amritsar or the Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in Bathinda. Amritpal, who has been on the run since March 18 when the police crackdown was launched, appeared in a video on Wednesday.
