GUWAHATI, March 17: The Punjab Police will take custody of seven associates of jailed radical preacher Amritpal Singh from Assam’s Dibrugarh jail, as their detention under the National Security Act (NSA) is set to expire and will not be extended, a senior police officer confirmed on Sunday.

These seven individuals, who have been held in Dibrugarh jail, are facing legal proceedings in connection with the 2023 Ajnala police station attack. The state government has decided against prolonging their NSA detention period, allowing for their transfer to Punjab to face trial.

Amritpal Singh, leader of the ‘Waris Punjab De’ outfit, and nine of his associates were detained under the NSA for two years. Singh, who won the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat as an independent candidate, remains in detention along with his associates.

The individuals set to be transferred back to Punjab are: Basant Singh, Bhagwant Singh Bajekhana, Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwal, Daljit Singh Kalsi, Gurinderpal Singh Guri Aujla, Harjit Singh, and Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Satinder Singh stated that the investigation into the Ajnala police station incident is ongoing. He clarified that although the ten individuals were detained under the NSA, none of them have yet been formally arrested in connection with the attack.

“We are moving forward with the investigation. We will arrest these seven individuals in FIR number 39 and bring them back to Punjab. We will bring them here for that case and continue the investigation,” DIG Satinder Singh told reporters in Amritsar.

When asked about Amritpal Singh’s case, the DIG declined to provide further comments. However, he confirmed that legal action would be taken against the seven returning individuals as their NSA detention period comes to an end.

Last year, the NSA detention of Amritpal Singh and his associates was extended for another year. Singh, who modeled himself after Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, was arrested in Moga’s Rode village on April 23, 2023, following a month-long manhunt.

Singh had evaded arrest in Jalandhar on March 18, 2023. The police crackdown followed the February 23, 2023, Ajnala incident, where Amritpal Singh and his supporters, some armed with swords and guns, breached barricades and entered the police station demanding the release of an aide. The incident resulted in clashes with the police.

Singh and his associates face charges including spreading disharmony, attempted murder, assaulting police officers, and obstructing public servants.