New Delhi, November 1: The Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested three people, including a woman, for allegedly painting pro-Khalistan graffiti at two Metro stations in the national capital, with the messages also targeting Punjabi singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh ahead of his Delhi concert, officials said.
The accused have been identified as Sumeet, alias Raftar (30), a resident of Samalkha in Haryana’s Panipat district; Sumit Kumar, alias Kaka (22), from Gurdaspur in Punjab; and Gurpreet (22), a native of Hoshiarpur in Punjab.
According to the police, the graffiti was discovered at Jahangirpuri and Shastri Nagar Metro stations on October 29 and 30, respectively.
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The messages allegedly expressed support for the banned separatist organisation Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and its Khalistan agenda. One of the messages referred to Diljit Dosanjh by name.
How the graffiti was allegedly executed
Investigators suspect that Sumit Kumar was the main instigator and had recruited the other two accused to carry out the activity at prominent locations in Delhi.
Police said an alleged SFJ-linked handler contacted Sumit through WhatsApp and instructed him to download an encrypted messaging application to receive further directions.
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The accused were allegedly provided with graffiti templates and promised financial rewards for carrying out the activity, officials said.
According to the investigation, Sumeet allegedly painted the graffiti at Jahangirpuri Metro station, recorded a video of the act and shared it with his handlers. Sumit and Gurpreet allegedly carried out the graffiti at Shastri Nagar Metro station.
The police said the three accused had travelled to Delhi on October 28. Investigators are also examining an alleged graffiti incident near GTK Bypass on October 30, which falls under the jurisdiction of Samaypur Badli police station.
Two FIRs registered
Two separate FIRs were registered in connection with the graffiti at Metro Police Station Azadpur and Metro Police Station NSP.
The cases have been registered under Section 3 of the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Public Property Act, 2007, and Section 62(2) of the Metro Railway (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002.
The Special Cell is now attempting to identify the alleged handlers and establish whether other individuals were involved in coordinating the activity or arranging the promised payments.
Diljit performed in Delhi on October 30
The graffiti incidents came ahead of Diljit Dosanjh’s Delhi concert, held on October 30 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium as part of his Aura India Tour.
Diljit’s India tour is scheduled to continue with performances in cities including Indore, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Lucknow, while details of the Chandigarh show are expected to be announced separately.
The latest arrests follow an earlier incident in October when Punjab Police arrested three men for allegedly painting pro-Khalistan slogans near Diljit Dosanjh’s native village, Dosanjh Kalan, in Jalandhar district.
The Delhi Police investigation is continuing.
