Punjab: Security beefed up in Bathinda on Baisakhi eve with an eye on fugitive Khalistani Amritpal Singh

Chandigarh: Security arrangements were further tightened in Talwandi Sabo town of Punjab’s Bathinda district on the eve of Baisakhi festival on Thursday amid speculations that pro-Khalistan radical preacher Amritpal Singh - who is on the run since March 18, may surface at historic Takht Damdama Sahib gurdwara there.

Takht Damdama Sahib which is located in Talwandi Sabo town in Bathinda, is one of the five seats of temporal authority of Sikhs, where Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru, had prepared the full version of Guru Granth Sahib in 1705. Talwandi Sabo is the hub of religious activities on Baisakhi festival, which also marks the foundation day of Sikhism.

Even though the Punjab police top officers visited Bathinda on Thursday, additional director general of police (ADGP), Bathinda range, S P S Parmar has been camping at Talwandi Sabo since about a week.

Amritpal could surrender at Takht Damdama Sahib

The speculations pertaining to fugitive Amritpal’s surrender at Damdama Sahib is in the background of his two video messages in which he had urged the Akal Takht acting jathedar (head) Giani Harpreet Singh to call a Sarbad Khalsa (gathering of all factions of Sikhs) on Baisakhi. However, though no Sarbat Khalsa has been convened, security arrangements have been beefed up also to prevent any untoward incident.

Akali Dal gathering at Talwandi Sabo

Pertinently, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) MP Simranjit Singh Mann has announced a gathering at Talwandi Sabo on Friday.

Meanwhile, high alert has been sounded on the Punjab-Rajasthan border areas and search to nab Amritpal, intensified.

There were also reports that searches were being carried out in Hanumangarh-Sri Ganganagar areas of neighbouring Rajasthan on the basis of inputs that Amritpal could be hiding there.

Meanwhile, police had also pasted "Amritpal Singh wanted" posters at the Batala railway station in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district since Wednesday which also read that appropriate reward would be given on the information about him.