Amritpal's brother arrested in drug case; dope test positive

Chandigarh, July 12 (IANS) Harpreet Singh, brother of jailed radical Sikh preacher and Punjab’s Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, who ran a campaign against drug addiction, along with his associate Lovepreet Singh have been arrested in a drug case and their dope test was positive, police said on Friday.

They were arrested by Jalandhar (Rural) Police from Phillaur town for carrying four grams of ice drug (methamphetamine).

Another person Sandeep Arora, who is believed to be the supplier of the drug to them, was also arrested.

Confirming this development, Senior Superintendent of Police Ankur Gupta told the media that an FIR has been lodged against the accused.

“Three people identified as Lovepreet, Harpreet and Sandeep Arora have been arrested. They were arrested last night. Four grams of ice have been recovered,” he said.

He said the dope test of Harpreet Singh and Lovepreet Singh was positive. The drug was purchased from Sandeep Arora, a Ludhiana-based man.

Both Harpreet Singh and Lovepreet Singh belong to Amritsar. The drug was recovered from them during the checking of the car in which the duo was travelling.

Denying charges farmed against his son, Amritpal's father Tarsem Singh has sought a fair probe into the allegations of drug abuse by his son Harpreet Singh.

Sikh radical Amritpal Singh has been detained under the National Security Act (NSA) in Assam's Dibrugarh jail. Last week, he along with Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid, took the oath as Lok Sabha MPs amid heavy security in and around the Parliament complex in Delhi after they were granted parole.

Thirty-one-year-old Sikh radical Amritpal Singh, head of Waris Punjab De, won the Khadoor Sahib seat by 1,97,120 votes over his nearest rival, Congress candidate Kulbir Singh Zira.

During election campaigning, parents and supporters of Amritpal Singh's had demanded his release from jail, highlighting his anti-drug crusade.

They had questioned the government’s decision to put Amritpal Singh behind bars, claiming he was just campaigning against drugs and organising Sikh initiation ceremonies.