Amritpal Singh announces candidacy for Lok Sabha elections from Punjab jail

Jailed pro-Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh, currently held in Dibrugarh jail, has announced his intention to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as an Independent candidate for the Khadoor Sahib seat in Punjab. His legal representative, Rajdev Singh Khalsa, confirmed this decision to the media. The Superintendent of Central Jail, Dibrugarh, Nipen Das, was recently arrested by Assam police in connection with the discovery of objectionable materials in the cell of Amritpal Singh and nine others associated with him.

Security lapses were identified in the jail where these individuals, detained under the National Security Act (NSA), were held. The recovery of unauthorized items such as mobile phones and spy cameras raised concerns, leading to Das's arrest based on a registered case related to the incident. Among the nine associates of Amritpal Singh held under NSA are Daljeet Singh Kalsi, Papalpreet Singh, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, Varinder Singh Johal, Gurmeet Singh, Bukkanwala, Harjit Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Basant Singh, and Gurinderpal Singh Aujla.

The Director General of Police in Assam, G P Singh, disclosed that the Punjab police and government were alerted about unauthorized activities within the NSA cell at Dibrugarh Jail. A search operation uncovered several unauthorized items, with investigations ongoing to determine the source. Additional CCTV cameras were installed in the public area of the NSA Block following the discovery.


In a statement to the media, Singh mentioned that the police had received information about the use of unauthorized items by the NSA detainees, prompting the installation of additional CCTV cameras. The analysis of CCTV footage revealed the unauthorized items being used, leading to their recovery and further investigation. Punjab authorities were informed as the detainees were under Punjab police directive.

Last year in April, Amritpal Singh, a fugitive, was brought to Dibrugarh Central jail. A five-member Advisory board under NSA from Punjab visited Dibrugarh to meet the detainees of 'Waris Punjab De'. In 2021, after being detained for over a year and seven months, Assam MLA and Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi was released following the dismissal of all charges against him and three others by a special NIA Court in Guwahati.

Gogoi, who had faced charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for his involvement in protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and alleged links with Maoists, contested and won the assembly election from Sivasagar constituency in 2021 while in jail.