AMRITSAR: An Amritsar court on Friday (November 13) granted one-day interim bail to jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh to attend the last rites of his grandmother, Charan Kaur, who died on November 8 at the age of 84.
According to family sources, Singh, who is currently lodged in Assam’s Dibrugarh Central Jail, is expected to reach Punjab on Saturday (November 14) to participate in the cremation at his native village of Jallupur Khera in Amritsar district.
The development was confirmed by Shamsher Singh Padhri, spokesperson of the Akali Dal Waris Punjab De organisation.
The interim relief came after Singh’s legal counsel approached the Amritsar district and sessions court, seeking his temporary release on humanitarian grounds. His lawyers had reportedly sought permission for his release from November 14 to 17 to enable him to attend the cremation and subsequent religious ceremonies.
Charan Kaur’s family had deferred her cremation while awaiting legal permission for Singh to attend the final rites. The family had also expressed disappointment after an earlier court-approved 10-minute video call with Singh at Dibrugarh jail could not be facilitated.
Singh was arrested in April 2023 following the Ajnala police station incident of February 23, 2023, when he and his supporters, carrying swords and other weapons, stormed the police station and allegedly threatened police personnel. He was subsequently detained under the National Security Act (NSA) and lodged at Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam.
About Amritpal Singh
Amritpal Singh came into the spotlight after taking over the leadership of the Waris Punjab De organisation in 2022, following his return to India from Dubai. The organisation was founded in 2021 to promote Sikh rights and raise social and religious issues.
He was arrested on April 23, 2023, following a 37-day manhunt in connection with the February 2023 Ajnala police station incident. Singh and his supporters had allegedly stormed the police station, carrying swords and other weapons, and clashed with police personnel while demanding the release of an associate.
Several policemen were injured in the confrontation.
Following his arrest, the Punjab Police invoked the National Security Act (NSA) against him, and he was shifted to Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam. His detention under the Act was extended subsequently, keeping him in custody despite his political activities.
While lodged in jail, Singh contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate from Punjab's Khadoor Sahib constituency and won the seat. He was administered the oath as a Member of Parliament on July 5, 2024, but his detention prevented him from regularly attending parliamentary proceedings.
After his NSA detention expired on April 22, 2026, Punjab Police formally re-arrested him on April 23 in connection with the Ajnala police station violence case.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court allowed the state police to proceed with the arrest while permitting him to remain lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail, citing security and law-and-order concerns over shifting him to Punjab.
The court also allowed legal proceedings to be conducted through video-conferencing.
Singh continues to remain in Dibrugarh jail as the proceedings in the Ajnala case continue. The latest interim bail order provides him temporary relief to attend his grandmother's last rites.
(With inputs from media agencies)