After dodging the might of Punjab police, supported by the Indian central government, for 37 days, emerging Sikh separatist leader Amritpal Singh ‘surrendered’ in the north Indian state’s Moga district on Sunday morning. The local government continues to say he was arrested, but details from Rode village in Moga tell otherwise.

It is another dramatic chapter in the short life of the political leader, months after leaving Dubai as a dispatcher at his family transport business to heading Waris Punjab De, an NGO which is now in support of asking a separate state of Khalistan for the Sikh community.

Rode in Punjab’s Moga district is the ancestral village of slain Khalistani ideologue Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Amritpal’s emergence in Punjab has been dubbed as the arrival of “Bhindranwale 2.0′. It is alleged that Amritpal Singh even went to Georgia for cosmetic surgery to make himself resemble like him on departure from Dubai to India to take over Deep Sidhu, an actor who headed WPD before he died in a road accident last year.

Amritpal chose Rode both for his Dastarbandi ceremony (a Sikh ritual) to take over as head of WPD in September last year and for his surrender before the police, reaffirming the idea that Bhindranwale remains his “idol”. In an address early morning at the local gurudwara, he said his arrest (meaning surrender) was “not the end but the beginning. ”

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Former Akal Takht Jathedar and Bhindranwale’s nephew Jasvir Singh Rode said “Amritpal was not nabbed by the police but he chose to surrender himself after paying obeisance at the gurdwara.”

“Amritpal had reached Rode late on Saturday night. I was informed by the police that he will surrender from our village. I got to know at around midnight and left for Rode soon after. I reached Rode at around 4 am and he was already present. When I met him, he said that he was going to surrender.

“Amritpal had informed the police last night itself that he will surrender today morning after paying obeisance at the gurdwara. He also addressed the sangat (congregation) for a few minutes before the surrender. Had the police arrested him, would they have allowed him to address the sangat? He was all prepared for it and had packed his clothes, combs etc. The police took him away at around 7 am,” Jasvir Rode added.

Amritpal Singh has been taken to Dibrugarh, Assam, where the rest of his aides are also in jail. All have been booked and taken in under the National Security Act. When Amritpal first evaded the police net on March 18 (see timeline), it was rumoured that he was apprehended and will be bumped off in an encounter.

Amritpal Singh escaped the police dragnet twice — first on March 18 in Jalandhar district by switching vehicles and then again on March 28 in Hoshiarpur when he returned to Punjab along with his associate Pappalpreet Singh, who has allegedly been in touch with Pakistan’s ISI.

While on the run, two videos and one audio clip of Amritpal Singh had surfaced on social media. In one of his two videos, which surfaced on March 30, Amritpal Singh had asserted that he was not like those who flee the country.

ROAD TAKEN BY AMRITPAL – FROM DUBAI TO RODE

A timeline of the event so far.

• September 29, 2021: Sandeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Deep Sidhu starts ‘Waris Punjab De’ as a pressure group to “fight for the rights of Punjab and protect its culture”
• February 15, 2022: Deep Sidhu, who shot into the national limelight during farm protests, killed in a road accident
• September 29, 2022: Amritpal Singh appointed ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief by his supporters months after Deep Sidhu’s death
• February 16, 2023: FIR registered against Amritpal Singh and Lovepreet Singh, alias Toofan, in Ajnala, for allegedly kidnapping, thrashing, and attempting to murder
• February 17, 2023: Toofan arrested by the Ajnala Police
• February 23, 2023: Amritpal and his supporters storm Ajnala Police Station and lay siege to pressurise cops to release Toofan. Under pressure, the police agree to release his aide Toofan.
• February 24, 2023: Toofan released from the judicial custody. Police secretly register an FIR under attempt to murder, assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharging his duty.
• February 25, 2023: DGP chairs a meeting of senior officials and discusses possibilities of action against Amritpal and his aides. The plan was also discussed with the chief minister.
• March 2, 2023: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann along with DGP Punjab Gaurav Yadav meets Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. A foolproof plan to act against Waris Punjab De Chief and his aides was given a go-ahead by the home minister. Shah also assures Mann of every possible help from the Centre, including sending Central Armed Forces.
• March 17, 2023: As the G-20 meeting concludes in Amritsar, senior police officials are directed to implement a state-wide crackdown against Amritpal and his aides.
• March 18, 2023: Police teams of more than eight districts start chasing a cavalcade of Amritpal from his native district Amritsar to Bathinda. The cavalcade was intercepted at Mehatpur of Jalandhar district and seven aides of Amritpal were apprehended. However, Amritpal manages to give a slip. On the same day, the four of his supporters are airlifted to Dibrugarh Central Jail of Assam, after the Punjab government invokes National Security Act against them.
• March 19, 2023: The manhunt enters the second day and police arrested 34 more persons.
• March 20, 2023: Amritpal’s uncle, identified as Harjit Singh, and his driver surrenders in the wee hours in Shahkot of Jalandhar. Harjit was also booked under NSA and airlifted to Dibrugarh Jail in Assam.
• March 28, 2023: Amritpal spotted in the Hoshiarpur district along with his friend Pappalpreet Singh but again managed to give the police a slip.
• April 10, 2023: Pappalpreet arrested from Amritsar district by Punjab Police.
• April 23, 2023: Amritpal, already booked under NSA, arrested from Rode village in Moga district. He is likely to be shifted to Dibrugarh Central Jail of Assam.