Initial assessment suggests that Amritpal Singh, the Waris Punjab De (WPD) chief who was arrested in Punjab on Sunday, was planted by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to fill the space of pro-Khalistan ideologue Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a top intelligence source told CNN-News18.
CNN-News18, in its exclusive coverage, had reported how the ISI was increasingly making efforts to control the management of Sikh shrines in Pakistan and Sikh affairs in India. In its report on the blueprint of the ISI, CNN-News18 had reported how they wanted a “cult figure” who could replace Bhindrawale and take charge of the Khalistan movement on ground zero.
“The ISI realised that the movement from Canada, the UK and Germany was not giving much results. The strong diplomacy of India and the capacity to manage law and order internally was a big jolt. The ISI’s plans in Pakistan’s Punjab, too, failed, as the Sikhs there only managed a few incidents of violence,” said the source.
“Pakistan is using the youth born after 1984 for different criminal purposes,” said the source.
#BreakingNews: #AmritpalSingh has been kept in an isolation cell away from his aides; 8 of his associates are also there in Dibrugarh central jail of #Assam@_anshuls with more details@aayeshavarma | #WarisPunjabDe #Amritpal_Singh pic.twitter.com/MK6J3QKzRj— News18 (@CNNnews18) April 24, 2023
The agencies are working out the details of his funding and handlers. A direct link with the ISI is not visible so far.
‘ABUSED PAK; GOT SOCIAL MEDIA BACKUP’
The ISI then got in touch with UK-based Khalistan sympathisers and selected Singh for ground zero operations. Intelligence agencies say that Singh was not radicalised like Muslim terror groups.
“In his discussions, he abused Pakistan. He also told the interrogators that he knows about the situation of minorities and Muslims in Pakistan. He said India was his country and he was fighting for the Sikhs here,” said the source.
Singh said he was given social media backup from Pakistan, Canada, the UK and Germany, said the source.
“Singh was given handlers like Avtar Singh Khanda, a UK-based SAD activist and a close associate of Khalistani terrorist Jagtar Singh Tara. They also never disclosed the last link of the ISI,” said the source.
#AmritpalSingh: Fugitive Amritpal Singh got arrested from Moga in Punjab yesterday; govt. sources tell CNN-News18 that he was 'seemingly supported by the ISI to stir up trouble in #Punjab'@_anshuls with more details@aayeshavarma | #WarisPunjabDe #Amritpal_Singh pic.twitter.com/TkgL9Tgcro— News18 (@CNNnews18) April 24, 2023
SINGH FAMILY SENT MESSAGE TO KHANDA
Sources told CNN-News18 that during the 36 days that Singh was on the run, his family was disturbed and met officials multiple times.
His wife also sent a message to Khanda, saying he would be held responsible if anything went wrong, said the source.
After his arrest, his family was relieved.
#Exclusive: CNN-News18's @manojkumargupta speaks to Amritpal Singh's wife Kirandeep Kaur just after his arrest;News18's Manoj Rathi shares more updates from #Bathinda#Amritpal_Singh | @SakshiLitoriya_ pic.twitter.com/WEQH4sTfKJ
— News18 (@CNNnews18) April 23, 2023
‘NOT A STRONG MAN; THREW UP OUT OF FEAR’
According to the source, Singh does not come across as a strong man. “It can be seen from the fact that Singh surrendered just two days after his wife was stopped from going abroad,” he said.
During his flight from Bhatinda to Assam in AN32, which is known for a bumpy ride, he threw up out of fear.
CNN-News18 had also reported how Singh’s aide Papalpreet Singh, who was arrested earlier, had said they went on the run to escape police torture.
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