In what comes as a major blow to Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) funded defacement terrorism, Delhi police has nabbed two for spray painting pro Khalistan graffiti on Delhi metro stations a few days ago. The arrests has rattled the terrorist outfit that was already perturbed with zero impact of defacements which get removed within hours every time.
The SFJ supremo Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has, in what highlights his frustration, now issued a fresh threat that its operatives would now storm Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport with Khalistan flags to avenge the arrests. Pannun has also declared a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh for information about families of Delhi Police officers in Canada, UK, Germany, Italy & Australia. The Intelligence agencies however insist on high security measures.
It may be noted that Delhi Police Special cell announced the arrest of SFJ operatives Pritpal Singh, alias Kaka, and Rajwinder Singh, alias Kale, from Punjab’s Faridkot in the defacement case.
Special commissioner HGS Dhaliwal said Pannun had promised to pay the duo $7,000 for the task and paid $3,500 as advance through Western Union. The duo were in touch with him through Signal app and even informed him about defacement. It was by trailing this online activity that cops reached the duo and nabbed them.
The Delhi police initiated an all-out manhunt on August 26 when the anti-national graffiti was discovered on metro stations across Delhi.
The police went for extensive technical surveillance and deep-tech infiltration techniques and analysed over 5,000 mobile phone numbers to get these two.
Elaborating on the duo’s profile, Additional Commissioner of Police (special cell) Pramod Kushwaha said Pritpal has pursued a degree in law besides a PG diploma in forensic science while Rajwinder is a labourer. “During the pandemic, he was attracted to a post on social media by Pannun’s associate offering help to covid patients. Pritpal tried his luck and received Rs 5,000 for each family member. He then started communicating with Pannun on Signal,” said Kushwaha. Pannun had regularly been helping him with money and thus trapped him.
It was almost a month ago that Pannun sought returns to his favour by painting pro-Khalistan slogans and graffiti in Delhi before the G20 summit. Pritpal got his associate Rajwinder on board promising half the reward.
“They purchased the paint from Barnala and left Bathinda for Delhi through Punjab Mail train on August 25. They reached New Delhi railway station the next morning and conducted a recce of metro stations till 3pm. They then finalised some metro stations in west Delhi for painting pro-Khalistan slogans and carried out the assignment,” said Dhaliwal.
The duo were spotted in CCTV footage making videos near the graffiti spots and through analysis of active cell phone numbers led police to them.
Also read: “Defacement terrorism” in India by Khalistani separatists continues to be a flop show
