Waris Punjab De Member Wanted In India Nabbed While Arriving From Nepal

A wanted member of the pro-Khalistan outfit Waris Punjab De and a US citizen of Punjab origin allegedly linked to the organisation were arrested while attempting to enter India from Nepal through the Rupaidiha border in Uttar Pradesh, police said. The arrests were made in a joint operation by the Uttar Pradesh Police and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), after which a Punjab Police team took custody of the accused following the completion of legal formalities.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Vikramjit Singh, a Waris Punjab De activist wanted in connection with the 2023 Ajnala police station clash, and Manveer Singh, a US national of Punjab origin. According to police, the duo was intercepted while allegedly trying to enter India from Nepal through the Indo-Nepal International Border without valid documentation.

Police said Vikramjit Singh had been absconding for more than two years and was wanted in the Ajnala police station violence that took place in February 2023. Investigators alleged that he remained on the run by shifting between locations in Mumbai, Rajasthan, Delhi and Udhampur before fleeing to Kathmandu in Nepal last year. The arrests came to light after Uttar Pradesh Police informed their Punjab counterparts about the operation.

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Vikramjit Singh was among the supporters who accompanied Amritpal Singh, then chief of Waris Punjab De and now the Member of Parliament from Punjab's Khadoor Sahib constituency, during the protest march to the Ajnala police station. The demonstration was organised to demand the release of Amritpal's aide, Lovepreet Singh alias Toofan, who had been arrested in an attempted murder case. The protest escalated into a major confrontation between supporters and the police, leading to multiple criminal cases.

Bahraich Superintendent of Police Vishwajeet Srivastava said the arrests were made during a coordinated operation conducted by the SSB and Uttar Pradesh Police in the Rupaidiha police station area along the Indo-Nepal border. He said the two men allegedly attempted to enter India without obtaining a visa, purportedly to avoid attracting the attention of law enforcement agencies.

Police also arrested three Indian nationals for allegedly facilitating the illegal entry of the accused into the country. The three have been identified as Suresh Kumar Pathak, Dilip Upadhyay, both residents of Rupaidiha town, and vehicle driver Rahul Kumar. Investigators allege they were assisting the two men in crossing the border and travelling further into India.

The arrests are being viewed as a significant development in the investigation into the 2023 Ajnala police station clash, which led to an extensive crackdown on members and supporters of Waris Punjab De. Following the incident, several individuals linked to the organisation were arrested, while others went into hiding or fled the country.

Punjab Police are expected to continue questioning the accused as part of the ongoing investigation into the Ajnala violence and other cases linked to the organisation. Authorities have not yet disclosed whether additional arrests are likely, but officials said investigations are continuing to identify others who may have assisted the accused in evading arrest or attempting to re-enter India illegally.

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