Amritpal Singh, aide give cops the slip despite massive search ops in Hoshiarpur

Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh and his aide Papalpreet Singh managed to give police the slip even though a massive search operation was launched in a Hoshiarpur village late on Tuesday (March 28) night after some suspects abandoned their vehicle following a chase.

A police team was chasing a car from Phagwara after it suspected that fugitive Amritpal and his aide could be travelling in that vehicle, sources said. The occupants of the vehicle abandoned the car near Gurdwara Bhai Chanchal Singh in Marnaian village and fled, they said.

Also read: New CCTV footage shows fugitive Amritpal Singh without turban

A cordon and search operation has been launched in and around the village while checkposts and barricades have been raised on the roads to nab the suspects.

Reports said, one more aide of Amritpal managed to escape with him.

Police, however, have detained two of his aides during the search operation.

Earlier on Tuesday, a video surfaced on social media showing the pro-Khalistani preacher without a turban and wearing a mask in a Delhi market.

Also read: Amritpal Singh case: Noisy scenes in Punjab assembly; Cong, SAD flay govt

Amritpal could be seen walking down a street wearing dark glasses. Papalpreet Singh is seen walking behind him with a bag.

Punjab police, however, have not confirmed the authenticity of the footage.

A senior Delhi Police official said they are probing whether the persons seen in the video are Amritpal Singh and his aide.

Amritpal Singh remains untraceable since a police crackdown against him and members of his pro-Khalistan Waris Punjab De outfit on March 18, about three weeks after he and his supporters stormed into the Ajnala police station near Amritsar to secure the release of an arrested man.

Also read: Amritpal Singh has close links with ISI; drug dealers gifted him Merc SUV

The preacher escaped the police dragnet 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.

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(With inputs from agencies)