Surrey: Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) leader Amarjit Singh Chawla, who reportedly travelled to Canada after a rape case was registered against him in Punjab, has allegedly been spotted in Surrey, according to people who claim to know and recognise him.
Sources familiar with Chawla said he has been seen wearing an oversized medical mask, allegedly to conceal his identity. One source claimed that he recently noticed a man near a gurdwara in Surrey whose appearance and manner of walking appeared familiar to him.
The source said that when he approached the man and greeted him by name with “Sat Sri Akal”, the person allegedly increased his pace and moved towards a rear entrance of the gurdwara building.
Another source claimed that Chawla was seen two days earlier wearing a large thatha over his turban while walking towards a car parked in the driveway of an acquaintance’s house.
A person who said he had known Chawla since his days as a student leader, when he was associated with the ‘Chawla-Mehta’ group, claimed that Chawla had frequently visited Surrey over the years. The source said his familiarity with Chawla made it possible to recognise him even when his appearance was altered.
The discussions surrounding Chawla have reportedly been circulating in Punjabi community gatherings in Surrey and neighbouring cities. People have also been discussing the rape case registered against him in Punjab and his reported presence in Canada.
The report also mentions claims from a source familiar with Surrey policing that some individuals have been informally keeping track of Chawla’s whereabouts in case international authorities, including Interpol, seek assistance in locating him.
Some members of the Punjabi community have reportedly kept newspaper photographs of Chawla with them to help identify him.
The allegations and claims regarding Chawla’s presence in Surrey have not been independently established in the information provided.
