Punjab cops secure custody of 2 more Waris Punjab De members

Dibrugarh: The Punjab Police on Tuesday secured the custody of two more members of the Waris Punjab De organisation, Daljeet Singh Kalsi and Basant Singh, from the high-security Dibrugarh Central Jail.
The move is part of an ongoing operation to transfer seven detained members of the group to Punjab, where they will face trial for their alleged involvement in the Ajnala Police Station attack. A 25-member Punjab Police team, led by Superintendent of Police Harinder Singh Gill, obtained transit remand from the court of district and sessions judge, Dibrugarh, to facilitate the transfer.
With this, the total number of Waris Punjab De members taken into custody by the Punjab Police has risen to four. On Monday, the police had secured the custody of Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala and Bhagwant Singh, alias Pradhan Mantri Bajeke. Sources said the Punjab Police team will apply for the custody and transit remand of three more detainees — Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, Harjeet Singh, and Gurinderpal Singh Aujla, alias Guri Aujla — on Wednesday. Once all seven members are in custody, they will be flown to Punjab under heavy security.
A senior police official said the four members currently in custody are being held at the Dibrugarh Police station lock-up under tight security until their transfer to Punjab. "They will remain here until the remaining three aides are released from Dibrugarh Jail. They will then be transported to Punjab," the official said.
The recent developments follow the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab govt's decision not to reinvoke the National Security Act (NSA) against the seven Waris Punjab De members. Their two-year detention period under the NSA is set to expire on March 19. The NSA allows for preventive detention without trial for up to 12 months, with provisions for extension if deemed necessary. However, once in Punjab, all seven members will be formally arrested and face trial for their alleged roles in the Ajnala police station attack.
Notably, three other Waris Punjab De members, including the organisation's chief, Amritpal Singh, Varinder Singh Johal, and Papalpreet Singh, will continue to remain in Dibrugarh Jail. Notably, Amritpal won the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat in Punjab during the 2024 general elections while incarcerated at Dibrugarh Jail.
Among the Waris Punjab De members, Basant Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, and Daljeet Singh Kalsi were brought to the maximum-security Dibrugarh Jail on March 19, 2023. They were followed by Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, Gurinderpal Singh Aujla, and Harjeet Singh, who were brought to the jail on March 21, 2023. Varinder Singh Johal and Papalpreet Singh were transferred to Dibrugarh on March 27 and April 11, 2023, respectively, with Amritpal Singh being the last to arrive on April 23, 2023.