In Dibrugarh jail, Amritpal lodged in solitary cell, away from 9 aides

Pro-Khalistan preacher and Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh, who was shifted to the central jail in Assam’s Dibrugarh following his arrest in Punjab’s Moga district on Sunday, has been kept in a separately located cell from the one where his nine associates were lodged in, prison officials aware of the details said.

Singh, who has been booked under the National Security Act (NSA), will not be allowed to interact with the nine other accused, who are his aides and relatives, from Punjab who have been lodged in the same jail following their arrests over the past four weeks, said an official from the Dibrugarh central jail, requesting anonymity.

Of around 420 inmates in the jail, only 10 prisoners, including Amritpal Singh, are the only ones booked under the NSA, the official said. “They are also the only residents of Punjab lodged in this jail.”

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Outside the central jail, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel continue to guard the gates and were keeping an eye on a possible gathering of protesters. The paramilitary force personnel were brought in last month after the first batch of the NSA detainees were shifted to Dibrugarh from Punjab.

“The cell is the same where we earlier kept prisoners who were booked under the NSA Act such as the operatives of the banned ULFA [United Liberation Front of Asom — an armed separatist outfit]. Cameras are placed in such a way that officials can virtually monitor any person going to the cell where [Amritpal] Singh is lodged,” said the jail official. “Apart from this, a warden is present round-the-clock in the row of cell, where he is lodged.”

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Earlier, hours after his arrest on Sunday morning from Rode village in Moga district by the Punjab Police, the Waris Punjab De chief was shifted to the northeastern state amid high security.

“Singh arrived at Mohanbari airport in Dibrugarh and has been shifted to the central jail. Security arrangements in and around the jail had already been beefed up,” said Dibrugarh superintendent of police Shwetank Mishra.

When the pro-Khalistan preacher was escorted to the Diburgarh jail, the entire route from the airport to the prison was sanitised by the police, Mishra said.

A special Indian Air Force (IAF) plane carrying Singh, who was accompanied by Punjab Police officers, from Amritsar reached Mohanbari airport around 2.20 pm. From there, he was taken to Dibrugarh jail under tight security in a convoy of vehicles. Commandos were also part of the police’s convoy that transported Singh from the airport to the prison complex, the SP added.

Following routine medical check-up, Amritpal Singh was kept in a solitary cell of the jail away from his associates. Till late on Sunday evening, Singh had not made any specific request and kept to himself in the cell, the jail official cited above said. “For security reasons, Singh won’t be allowed to step out for dinner and will be served dinner in the cell itself,” the official added. The radical preacher will not be assigned any work as per the prison manual, which says that prisoners detained under the NSA will not be assigned any work.

Prior to Singh’s arrival, senior police and district officials took stock of security arrangements in the jail. Additional CCTV cameras were installed in the premises, which will be manned by both state and central police personnel.

Since last month Dibrugarh jail has been housing nine associates of the Waris Punjab De chief. A close aide of Singh, Papalpreet Singh, who was arrested in Punjab’s Hoshiyarpur on April 10, was the last one to have been brought to the jail.

On March 19, the first batch of four prisoners, all aides of Amritpal Singh, were brought to Dibrugarh. Two days later, Singh’s uncle Harjeet Singh and two others were brought to the jail. Later, Singh’s gunman Varinder Johal was also shifted to the central jail.

On Wednesday, five members of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) arrived in Dibrugarh and interacted with the nine jailed aides of Amritpal.