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Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh is currently on the run from Punjab police, who are conducting a search to locate him. He was last seen riding away on a motorcycle in Jalandhar. Police have arrested 78 members of his outfit "Waris Punjab De," and several others have been detained for questioning.

Authorities have also arrested Singh's close aide Daljeet Singh Kalsi, who handles the Khalistani leader's finances, from Haryana's Gurgaon. A special team of state police had followed Singh's convoy while he was en route to Jalandhar's Shahkot tehsil. Singh, who claims to be a follower of terrorist Bhindranwale, managed to escape on a motorcycle. Heavy security has been deployed outside Singh's village, Jallupur Khaira, in Amritsar.

The Punjab government had faced criticism for the law-and-order situation in the state after Singh and his supporters broke into a police station with swords and guns in February. Officials have stated that Singh has close links with Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI and terrorist groups based in foreign countries.

There are attempts being made to revive militancy in the agrarian border state by ISI and there has been significant alarm in India's security establishment whether a new front is being opened up again. Punjab faced a nightmare during its days of terrorism from early 80s to mid 90s. Any slip back to those days is being dreaded again with armed groups again walking freely.


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