Assam: Administration Refutes Reports of Hunger Strike by Amritpal Singh in Dibrugarh Central Jail

DIBRUGARH: The administration of Dibrugarh district in Assam has dismissed reports of Waris Punjab De chief, Amritpal Singh, being on a hunger strike inside Dibrugarh central jail. The denial comes in response to claims made by Amritpal Singh's wife, Kirandeep Kaur, who alleged that her husband and his associates were protesting against the poor facilities at the jail.

During her weekly visit to her husband, Kirandeep Kaur stated that Amritpal Singh and other pro-Khalistan leaders held in Dibrugarh jail were not permitted to make phone calls and were being served unhygienic food. She further complained that the cook in the jail consumed tobacco while preparing meals, which is prohibited according to the Sikh rehat maryada (code of religious conduct). Kirandeep Kaur emphasized that the detainees were not allowed to contact their family members, resulting in significant expenses for travel to Dibrugarh jail.

Bhagwant Singh Sialka, a member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and advocate, pointed out that according to the Punjab jail manual, detainees should be allowed to make phone calls to their family members. However, the Dibrugarh jail administration cannot grant this permission since the case belongs to Punjab. Sialka stated that if the Punjab government grants permission, the detainees would be able to contact their families.

Contrary to these claims, Biswajit Pegu, the Deputy Commissioner of Dibrugarh district, denied the reports of Amritpal Singh being on a hunger strike inside the jail. Pegu clarified that while the detainees had planned a hunger strike due to specific demands, they were not currently engaged in such a protest. David R Neingaite, Dibrugarh's Additional SP (security), also stated that he had no information regarding a hunger strike.

“It’s not correct. They are not on any hunger strike. They had planned a hunger strike as they had certain demands,” the DC said.

Amritpal Singh has been held in Dibrugarh central jail since April 23. The administration asserts that the detainees are not on a hunger strike and denies the allegations made by Amritpal Singh's wife regarding the deplorable conditions and the absence of phone call privileges. The situation highlights the contrasting accounts provided by the detainees' families and the jail administration, necessitating further investigation to ascertain the truth behind the claims.

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