Multi-tier security rolled out in Dibrugarh jail after shifting of Amritpal Singh's aides

Dibrugarh: A multi-tier security arrangement has been made at Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam, where seven associates of radical preacher Amritpal Singh, including his uncle, are currently lodged, the district's deputy commissioner Biswajit Pegu said on Wednesday.

The Punjab Police recently launched a massive crackdown in the northern state, arresting several supporters of Amritpal Singh, the chief of pro-Khalistan outfit 'Waris Punjab De'.

Security has been beefed up in and around the jail since March 19, when initially four members of the outfit were shifted here by the Punjab police, Pegu told reporters here.

On Tuesday, three others, including Amritpal's uncle Harjit Singh, were detained under the National Security Act (NSA), and brought to Dibrugarh, around 2500 km away from Punjab.

"Seven members of Waris Punjab De are lodged in Dibrugarh jail as of today. They have been kept in high-security cells. The security system for NSA detainees is different compared to other prisoners," Pegu explained.

According to sources in the jail, a team of elite black panther Assam police commandos have been entrusted with securing the outer perimeter of the jail, while the CRPF, Assam Police personnel and prison guards have taken up the responsibility of inner security.

The entire outer boundary of the jail has been fitted with CCTVs.

Besides Harjit Singh, the other members of the outfit lodged in the jail are Daljeet Kalsi, Basant Singh, Gurmeet Singh Bhukanwala, Bhagwant Singh alias 'Pradhan Mantri' Bajeka, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal and Gurinder Pal Singh.

The crackdown on Waris Punjab De began weeks after Amritpal and his supporters stormed the Ajnala police station near Amritsar to secure the release of an arrested associate.

The episode had raised fears over the possibility of the return of Khalistani militancy to the state that borders Pakistan. WPD was formed by actor-activist Deep Sidhu.

Amritpal took over as its chief a month after his death last year.