Punjab showdown: Who is Amritpal Singh?

Radical preacher Amritpal Singh was arrested from Punjab's Moga district on Sunday, police said. “The Punjab Police have arrested him,” a senior police official told PTI. Police further said he would be sent to Assam's Dibrugarh jail.

Back in February, Amritpal Singh staged a massive protest in front of the Amritsar's Ajnala police, following which his close aide Lovepreet Toofan has now been released from jail. 

The ruckus that ensued from the demonstration led by Amritpal Singh made for utterly chaotic visuals in front of the police station with Waris Punjab De supporters and members waging their swords, while Punjab Police tries to create a barricade so that nobody is harmed. 

On Thursday, after talks with the 'Waris Punjab De' leader and his followers, Punjab police decided to release Lovepreet Toofan.

Here is everything you need to know about Amritpal Singh

Who is Amritpal Singh and Lovepreet toofan?

Amritpal Singh Sandhu, who was born on 17 January 1993, is the second leader of the Punjabi-centric social organisation, Waris Panjab De. 

'Waris Punjab De', an organisation founded by actor and activist Deep Sidhu who died in a road accident in February last year.

Why was Lovepreet arrested?

A case was registered against Amritpal Singh and his 30 supporters for allegedly kidnapping and thrashing Barinder Singh, a resident of Chamkaur Sahib in Rupnagar district.

Barinder Singh, in his complaint, had told the police that Amritpal Singh's associates had abducted him from Ajnala and took him to an unknown place where he was brutally thrashed.

Although Toofan has been charged with kidnapping, his family maintains that he is innocent and has been wrongfully linked to the case. They have acknowledged that Toofan was involved in volunteer work with Amritpal's group, but dispute his involvement in the kidnapping.

What happened in Amritsar?

Amritpal's supporters had staged a protest in the middle of the road at Dhilwan toll plaza in Kapurthala district when they were stopped by police from marching towards Amritsar on Thursday.

The protest led by Amritpal and his supporters turned violent, with clashes breaking out between them and the police. The protesters, armed with swords and guns, broke through police barricades and entered the Ajnala police station in Amritsar, where Toofan and Baldev Singh are being held.

Amritpal Singh and his supporters had also brought a vehicle carrying a copy of the "Guru Granth Sahib" for holding “Amrit Sanchar” (a Sikh ceremony) at the police station.

Dubai-returned Amritpal Singh, while talking to reporters at the police station, had issued an "ultimatum" for the release of his supporter Lovepreet Singh.

The preacher reportedly issued a threat to Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently, saying he will meet the same fate as that of former prime minister Indira Gandhi.

Lovepreet Toofan released

The Punjab government gave in to Amritpal and the Waris Punjab De's demands and released Lovepreet Toofan on Friday. 

Amritsar Rural's Superintendent of Police Satinder Singh told reporters that they (the Amritpal side) have given evidence according to which he (Lovepreet Singh) was not present at the spot, referring to the alleged kidnapping incident.

"They gave the evidence on Thursday. On the basis of that he is being discharged through the court…We are submitting that evidence to the honourable judge," the SSP said.

Amritsar Rural's Superintendent of Police Satinder Singh told reporters that they (the Amritpal side) have given evidence according to which he (Lovepreet Singh) was not present at the spot, referring to the alleged kidnapping incident.