GUWAHATI
The Assam Police have strengthened the security of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma following a threat from a banned Khalistani outfit.
A caller claiming to be the supporter of pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh, lodged in eastern Assam’s Dibrugarh Central Jail, alleged that the latter was being tortured in captivity along with his nine associates.
The caller said the Chief Minister would face the consequences if the 10 Sikhs, who are on a hunger strike, die in jail.
Mr. Singh was arrested by Punjab Police under the National Security Act in April 2023 and transported to Assam on a special flight. The other nine, also booked under NSA, were arrested and sent to the same jail later.
“...Amritpal Singh and his associates are on a hunger strike in Dibrugarh jail. Order the shifting of Amritpal and his associates to Amritsar jail or face the consequences. Sikhs for Justice are filing a complaint in the United Nations against India...,” the caller said.
“If any of the Singhs in Dibrugarh jail attains shahidi (martyrdom), CM Sarma, you will face the consequences. And pro-Khalistan Sikhs take their enemies to the grave. This message is from Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, general counsel of Sikhs for Justice,” the caller said.
The Chief Minister brushed the threat aside but Assam’s Director-General of Police, Gyanendra Pratap Singh said his force was taking it seriously.
“We have strengthened the security after this threat came to our notice. We have assessed the risks and have written to all the DGPs and Central agencies to provide the Chief Minister with security as per the threat since he travels extensively,” the DGP said.
“Pannun lives in the U.S. and is associated with Sikhs for Justice, which is a designated terrorist organisation in India. We are taking the threat seriously,” he added.
On February 17, the staff of Dibrugarh jail detected a major security breach in the NSA cell, where Mr. Singh is lodged along with nine of his associates.
The jail staff recovered a smartphone with SIM, a keypad phone, a TV remote with a keyboard, a spy cam pen, pen drives, Bluetooth headphones, speakers, and a smartwatch during a search.
