American-Sikh lawyer Jaspreet Singh has urged US Vice President Kamala Harris to intervene and get pro-Khalistani Amritpal Singh released from jail. Amritpal Singh, who won the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Khadoor-Sahib seat as an independent candidate, is lodged in Dibrugarh jail in Assam on terrorism charges. Jaspreet Singh says he has studied the case thoroughly and believes Amritpal Singh’s detention is “unjust”.

Waris Punjab De Chief Amritpal Singh was arrested in April 2023 after he surrendered in Moga district of PunjabHe was absconding for over a month. The Punjab Police had invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against him.

Kamala Harris is an American leader of Indian origin.

Jaspreet Singh is planning to interact with over a hundred US Congressmen to pressurize the Indian government for the release of Amritpal Singh.

“I have met him twice in the last two-three months. I spoke to him about immigration issues. I talked to him about this. He gave me time to come to his office. I will meet him on June 11, Tuesday,” Jaspreet Singh said in the YouTube video.

Khalistani separatist Amritpal Singh, who contested from Dibrugarh jail, won by a margin of nearly two lakh votes against Kulbir Singh of the Congress.

“Amritpal Singh’s victory was a huge victory and his continued detention raises serious questions about human rights,” Jaspreet Singh said.

Jaspreet Singh, who represents various Sikh organisations in the US and has a wide client base there, stressed that the matter has attracted the attention of several American leaders, including Vice President Kamala Harris, with whom Singh is in touch.

Singh, who has a long history of advocating for immigration issues and tackling hate crimes, said this is the first time he is taking up an issue related to India with such passion.

Sikh lawyer met several Congress leaders on Amritpal issue

Jaspreet Singh said that he has met several US senators and congressmen, including Senator Jacqueline Sheryl Rosen and Congressman Ruben Gallego from Nevada. Dr. from Arizona was here to discuss the matter.

Singh has prepared detailed reports and letters for various US leaders, including Vice President Kamala Harris and Senator Rob Menendez, son of Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey.

“I have spoken to more than 20 American leaders and they all agree that this matter needs to be taken seriously. The United States values ​​human rights, whether domestic or international,” he said.

The legal team supporting Singh has studied the case thoroughly and believes that Amritpal Singh’s detention is unjust.

“There is a principle in law that the punishment should be equal to the crime. We raised this issue with the US government from a human rights point of view,” Singh said.

Going forward, Singh plans to hold a dialogue with over a hundred Congressmen to build pressure on the Indian government for the release of Amritpal Singh.

Amritpal Singh had escaped from the police net in Jalandhar district on March 18 last year.

The Punjab Police had launched the operation following the February 23 Ajnala incident in which Amritpal and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke barricades and entered a police station on the outskirts of Amritsar city and clashed with police demanding the release of one of his associates, Lovepreet Singh Toofan.

He and his associates were booked under several criminal cases related to promoting enmity between different classes, attempt to murder, assaulting police personnel and obstructing public servants in discharge of lawful duty. Stringent NSA charges were later added against Amritpal Singh.