Indian police arrest radical Sikh preacher

NEW DELHI, April 23 (Reuters) – Indian police have arrested Sikh separatist Amritpal Singh after hunting for him for more than a month, a police statement said on Sunday.

Singh, a preacher in the northwestern state of Punjab where Sikhs are in the majority, has revived talk of an independent Sikh homeland and stoked fears of a return to violence that killed tens of thousands of people in 1980s and early 1990s.

Police have accused Singh and his supporters of attempted murder, obstruction of law enforcement and creating disharmony and said he had been on the run since mid-March.

“Amritpal Singh (has been) arrested in Moga, Punjab. Further details will be shared by Punjab Police,” the state police said on Twitter, urging the public not to spread fake news.

Reporting by Manoj Kumar and Shivangi Acharya; Editing by William Mallard

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source: reuters.com