Assam to discuss security for 4 Amritpal Singh associates lodged in Dibrugarh jail

Dibrugarh: Assam Inspector General of Police (Law and order) Prashanta Kumar Bhuyan arrived here on Monday to hold a high-level meeting on security issues after four arrested members of an outfit headed by radical preacher Amritpal Singh were lodged in a Dibrugarh jail, officials said.

The four accused who were arrested in Punjab were brought to the northeastern state by Punjab Police on March 19 and lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail.

Security has been intensified in and around the jail leading to speculations that a very "important member” of the outfit is among the arrested.

Though senior police and district officials refused to comment on the identity of the arrested persons, a senior officer of the Punjab Police team identified them on Sunday as Daljit Singh Kalsi, Bhagwant Singh, Gurmeet Singh and Pradhanmantri Bajeka.

They were among the 78 people arrested on Saturday in the Punjab government's major crackdown against 'Waris Punjab De' (WPD), headed by Amritpal Singh, who is wanted in several criminal cases.

Bhuyan, who is also the police spokesperson, was expected to brief the media after the meeting.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday that sometimes people arrested in another state are sent to a jail in another state.

Four persons have been sent by Punjab Police and "we will provide all security to them", Sarma said.

A 27-member police team from AAP-ruled Punjab, including an inspector general-rank officer, had accompanied the four accused to Dibrugarh in BJP-ruled Assam, over 2,500 km away.

However, no officer, including Dibrugarh SP Shwetank Mishra, was willing to share why these four accused were brought to BJP-ruled Assam, over 2,500 km away.