New Delhi, Aug 31: The Delhi Police has arrested a 30-year-old man and detained one more in connection with writing pro-Khalistan messages on the walls of four Delhi Metro stations ahead of the G20 Summit, officials said on Thursday.
At a press conference here, police said the accused carried out the act on the directions of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the chief of the banned US-based Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) outfit.
Police said while Pritpal Singh has been arrested, Rajvinder Singh was detained. Rajvinder Singh is being brought to Delhi and will be produced before a court. Pro-Khalistan messages – “Delhi Banega Khalistan” and “Khalistan Zindabad” – were found on the walls of Shivaji Park, Madipur, Paschim Vihar, Udyog Nagar, and Maharaja Surajmal Stadium metro stadiums on August 27.
A wall of a government school in Nangloi was also found defaced. A purported video was released by the Sikhs for Justice which showed the defaced walls of the metro stations. In it, Pannun was heard saying, “G20 nations, when you will be meeting in Delhi on September 10, we will be organising a Khalistan referendum in Canada.”
On August 27, after it was learnt that Pannun had posted some videos showing the pro-Khalistan graffiti, a Special Cell team visited the spots and examined CCTV footage, a senior police officer said. Two cases were registered at separate police stations but they were later transferred to the Special Cell, he said.
“On scanning CCTV footage, two suspects were spotted near the graffiti spots making videos,” Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) HGS Dhaliwal said, adding that some mobile numbers of the Punjab network were found moving at these locations at the time of the crime. “Those numbers were placed on interception and a team went to Bhatinda. On Wednesday, Pritpal Singh was arrested,” he said. Dhaliwal said Pritpal came in contact with Pannun through social media. (PTI)
