Dibrugarh, March 20: All seven associates of pro-Khalistani leader and Lok Sabha MP Amritpal Singh were transferred from Assam’s Dibrugarh Central Jail to Punjab on Thursday.

The detainees—Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, Bhagwant Singh, Basant Singh, Daljit Singh Kalsi, Harjit Singh, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, and Gurinderpal Singh—were flown out of Dibrugarh in two separate flights.

Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, Bhagwant Singh, and Basant Singh were transported on IndiGo flight 6E 2561, which departed at 10:10 am.

The remaining four—Daljit Singh Kalsi, Harjit Singh, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, and Gurinderpal Singh—were scheduled to leave on IndiGo flight 6E 6604 at 2:20 pm from Mohanbari Airport.

Authorities have confirmed that these seven individuals will now face legal proceedings in connection with the 2023 Ajnala police station attack case.

Following this transfer, Amritpal, along with his associates Papalpreet Singh and Varinder Singh Johal, remain in custody under the National Security Act (NSA) in Dibrugarh.

Their detention is set to expire in April 2025, after which they are also expected to be moved to Punjab.

Amritpal, the leader of Waris Punjab De organisation, and his nine associates had been detained in Dibrugarh Central Jail under NSA for the past two years.

Notably, Amritpal contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate and secured victory from Khadoor Sahib parliamentary constituency by 1,97,120 votes defeating Congress’ Kulbir Singh Zira and AAP’s Laljit Singh Bhullar.

Two days prior to the transfer, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Border Range Amritsar) Satinder Singh had said that the investigation into the Ajnala case will now move forward.

"We are taking the matter forward. The seven transferred individuals will be arrested under FIR No. 39 and brought back to Punjab for further investigation," DIG Singh said in Amritsar on March 17.

He had also noted that ten individuals detained under NSA in connection with the case have not yet been formally arrested.