Amritpal Singh's associates in separate cells, under CCTV surveillance in Dibrugarh Jail

Dibrugarh: The seven associates of radical preacher Amritpal Singh, including his uncle, who are lodged in Dibrugarh Jail are kept in separate cells under round-the-clock CCTV surveillance, a senior official said on Thursday.

The security of the entire jail campus has been intensified and the health of the seven 'Waris Punjab De' (WPD) members are being regularly checked, he said.

The seven have been provided with beds and mattresses and television sets in their cells, the official said.

Four additional CCTV cameras have been installed within the jail premises while all other faulty cameras were either replaced or repaired, the official said.

A jail official said a team of the elite Black Panther Assam Police commandos have been entrusted with the task of securing the outer perimeter of the jail, while the CRPF, Assam Police personnel and prison guards have been given the responsibility of inner security.

The entire outer boundary of the jail has also been fitted with CCTVs, he said.

Inspector General of Police (law and order) Prasanta Bhuyan reviewed the security arrangements of the jail on Wednesday.

Dibrugarh Deputy Commissioner Biswait Pegu said on Wednesday that the security system for NSA detainees is different compared to other prisoners.

A multi-tier security arrangement was made at the jail since March 19, when initially four members of the outfit were shifted here by the Punjab police.

On Tuesday three others, including the preacher's uncle Harjit Singh, were detained under the National Security Act (NSA) and brought to Dibrugarh, around 2500 km away from Punjab.

The other members of 'Waris Punjab De' lodged in the jail are Daljeet Kalsi, Basant Singh, Gurmeet Singh Bhukanwala, Bhagwant Singh alias 'Pradhan Mantri' Bajeka, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal and Gurinder Pal Singh.

Punjab Police recently launched a massive crackdown in the northern state and arrested several supporters of Amritpal Singh. It began weeks after the preacher and his supporters stormed the Ajnala police station near Amritsar to secure the release of an arrested associate.

The episode raised fears over the possibility of the return of Khalistani militancy to the state that borders Pakistan.

WPD was formed by actor-activist Deep Sidhu. Amritpal Singh took over as its chief a month after his death last year.