A pro-Khalistan outfit has issued threats against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for the alleged “harassment and torture” of fugitive separatist leader Amritpal Singh’s aides who are currently lodged in the state’s Dibrugarh Central Jail.

According to reports, Gurpatwan Singh Pannu, the self-styled ‘General Counsel’ of the separatist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) issued a threat to Sarma via a statement issued to Assam-based journalists.

In his statement, Pannu alleged that pro-Khalistan supporters imprisoned in Assam jails were being tortured and threatened the state’s CM to not come in the middle of the fight between “Pro-Khalistan Sikhs and the Indian regime.”

The SJF, according to reports, said they are seeking “liberation of Punjab from Indian occupation through a peaceful democratic process of Khalistan referendum” and threatened Sarma that he will be held accountable by them if it’s found that the Assam government is torturing and harassing the six (Amritpal aides lodged in the Dibrugarh Central Jail).

The SJF further warned Sarma to “not fall prey to this violence.”

A crackdown was launched to nab the self-styled Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh after the Waris Punjab De chief and his supporters armed with swords and guns, stormed a police station in Ajnala on the outskirts of Amritsar city last month and clashed with police for the release of one of his aides Lovepreet Singh Toofan.

On March 18, nearly three weeks after the incident, the Punjab Police launched a massive manhunt to nab the radical Sikh preacher and his associates.

On Wednesday last week, the fugitive separatist leader released a video urging Sikhs across the world to unite for a “larger cause”. Reports quoting sources claimed the video was allegedly shot in Uttar Pradesh.

Reports have claimed that Amritpal may surrender on Baisakhi eve at the Akal Takht at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Takht Damdama Sahib in Bathinda or Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib in Punjab’s Rupnagar district.

A massive procession was organized, Sunday, in Thane City by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to pay homage to Hindutva icon VD Savarkar.

Reports said that Shinde led the ‘Savarkar Gaurav Yatra’ in Thane along with hundreds of supporters and workers of the BJP and Shinde’s Shiv Sena to honour the late Hindutva ideologue.

Donning saffron caps with ‘Mi Savarkar’ (I am Savarkar) and other messages in favour of VD Savarkar displayed on them, the participants marched through Thane City as patriotic songs played on DJ systems while, rangolis were made at various places and large billboards of Savarkar were put up in several places across the city.

Shinde accompanied by various leaders of the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP coalition rode atop a makeshift chariot, waving to citizens as the yatra passed through four assembly segments in Thane city amid a shower of flowers enroute.

Other participants in yatra rode through the city on over 200 motorcycles and at least 100 autorickshaws while chanting slogans in favour of Savarkar and India as women donning colorful attires and carrying lezims took part in the procession.

Senior leaders including BJP’s Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, Thane MLA Sanjay Kelkar, Thane BJP chief and MLC Niranjan Davkhare, former mayor Naresh Mhaske, Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik and several other local leaders of both coalition partners took part in the yatra that covered four Assembly segments.

The leaders paid floral tributes to Savarkar as the yatra commenced from Ram Ganesh Gadkari Rangayatan auditorium in Thane city.

Last month, Shiv Sena and BJP had announced that they will take out ‘Savarkar Gaurav Yatras’ in every district of Maharashtra to honour Savarkar’s contribution to the country and to counter Congress scion Rahul Gandhi’s criticism against him.

A tableau displaying information about Savarkar was also part of the gaurav yatra.

An officer of the Kolkata Police was booked, Sunday, for the alleged assault of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairman Priyank Kanoongo who had claimed that he was beaten up by an officer at Tiljila police station on March 31.

An official statement from the office of Deputy Commissioner of Police South East Division, Kolkata read: “This is to state that on the basis of the letter of complaint submitted by Shri Priyank Kanoongo, Chair Person of NCPCR, Govt. of India a specific case has been registered vide Tiljala PS Case No. 82 dated 31.03.2023 u/s- 323/353/341/506/34 IPC against Shri Biswak Mukherjee, Officer-in-Charge of Tiljala PS, Kolkata. The investigation of the case is in progress.”

On March 31 (Friday), Priyank Kanoongo had alleged assault at the hands of a police officer at the Tiljila police station for protesting against the policemen for purportedly recording the child rights’ body’s investigation.

Kanoongo had posted about the incident on his official twitter handle claiming that Bengal police officer Biswak Mukherjee “snatched and beat me up” at West Bengal’s Tiljila police station.

The NCPCR chief had claimed that the Bengal police were secretly recording the commission probe into the rape of a minor girl in Malda and a murder of girl in Kolkata and claimed that he was beaten up by the cops for protesting the clandestine taping of the NCPCR’s investigations.

The child rights body chief said his team went to the rape survivor’s home on Friday and spoke with her parents. He claimed that they came to inspect the matter but state commission chairperson along with “goons” forcefully barged into the rape victim’s house and didn’t allow NCPCR personnel to talk so they came to the police but weren’t allowed to speak there too.

A senior official said appropriate action under the law will be taken against the accused officer if found guilty.