Delhi Police arrest three over pro-Khalistan graffiti at Metro stations

Delhi Police have arrested three people, including a woman, for allegedly painting pro-Khalistan slogans at the Jahangirpuri and Shastri Nagar Metro stations. The accused are Sumeet (30), alias Raftar, of Samalkha in Panipat; Sumit Kumar (22), alias Kaka, of Gurdaspur; and Gurpreet (22), from Hoshiarpur.

Police say the graffiti appeared near Gate No. 1 of Jahangirpuri station on October 29 and on a staircase wall near Gate No. 2 of Shastri Nagar station on October 30. The messages allegedly backed the banned group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and its Khalistan campaign.

Investigators describe Sumit Kumar as the alleged mastermind. They claim he was radicalised by SFJ sympathisers in Ludhiana and Gurdaspur, and that a suspected handler first reached him on WhatsApp before moving the chat to an encrypted app. The handler allegedly supplied graffiti templates and promised a sizeable payment for hitting prominent stations.

According to police, Sumit brought in Gurpreet and Sumeet. Sumeet allegedly painted the Jahangirpuri slogans and filmed himself to send to the handlers, while Sumit and Gurpreet allegedly did the Shastri Nagar job on the night of October 28-29.

The Special Cell took over after two FIRs were filed at Metro police stations. Technical surveillance led officers to Sumeet in Samalkha, and his questioning allegedly led them to the other two in Punjab. Police add that Sumit and Gurpreet met about four years ago at a Samalkha hotel where she worked, and later lived together.

Sumit is also accused of a similar slogan near GTK Bypass on October 30, which falls under Samaypur Badli police station and is being probed separately. The FIRs, at Metro Police Station Azadpur and Metro Police Station NSP, invoke the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Public Property Act, 2007, and the Metro Railway (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002.

For commuters, the case underlines how closely transit hubs are watched, and how quickly digital trails can lead to arrests. The allegations remain police claims at this stage. Source: The Tribune.

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