Amritpal Singh, the jailed radical preacher who is being brought to Delhi on parole to take an oath as a member of the Lok Sabha, will be able to see his family but will not be allowed to leave New Delhi’s “territorial jurisdiction.” As per the terms stipulated in his parole order granted by the district magistrate of Amritsar, Punjab, where Singh was arrested on April 23, last year, neither Singh nor his family members are allowed to speak in any media outlet while he is in the nation’s capital.
The Khalistani , who was imprisoned in the Dibrugarh district of Assam and went on to win Punjab’s Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat in the recent parliamentary elections, is scheduled to take an oath this Friday. Singh, 31, will be flown in from Assam to Delhi for taking oath and his parole period of four days starts from July 5, sources said on Wednesday.
The parole order, listing 10 conditions, specifies that the temporary release period includes the travel time from the central jail in Dibrugarh to New Delhi and back. It states that he “shall not enter the territorial jurisdiction of any place other than New Delhi during the period of temporary release.”
“Neither Amritpal Singh nor any of his relatives are allowed to record or disseminate any statement of Amritpal in any electronic form,” the order declares. Additionally, he must “avoid any action or statement that could be detrimental to national security.”
According to the order, “relatives of Amritpal, as defined under Section 2(c) of the Punjab Detenue (Condition of Detention) Order, 1981, are permitted to meet him while he is in New Delhi.” Regarding the deployment of security personnel, the order indicates that Singh will be escorted by a number of police officers considered suitable by the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Amritsar (Rural).
These officers will accompany him from the moment of his temporary release until he returns to jail to resume his detention. When Singh is within the Parliament precincts, “he will be escorted by police or other security personnel as authorized by the Secretary General, Lok Sabha,” the order notes.
For times when Singh is not required at Parliament, he will be “stayed at a location in New Delhi deemed appropriate by the SSP, Amritsar (Rural), based on security considerations.” The order mentions that the SSP will coordinate with the Lok Sabha secretary general to ensure compliance with the conditions.
Amritsar District Magistrate Ghamshyam Thori while speaking to PTI on Wednesday said, “Amritpal Singh has been granted parole for up to four days or less beginning July 5 with certain conditions that have been communicated to jail superintendent, Dibrugarh.”
Singh, who heads the “Waris Punjab De” outfit and styled himself after slain Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, was jailed along with nine of his associates under the National Security Act.
He was arrested in Moga’s Rode village after he and his supporters on February 23 barged into the Ajnala police station breaking barricades, brandishing swords and guns, and clashed with police personnel in an attempt to free one of his aides from custody.