The Delhi Police has initiated legal proceedings under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code in response to an incident where pro-Khalistani graffiti was discovered on walls beneath the Kashmiri Gate flyover on September 27, according to reports from ANI. The pro-Khalistani graffiti in the area has since been removed. These events unfolded amid ongoing tensions between India and Canada following the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada on June 18. A video showcasing defacement through graffiti was brought to the attention of the police on Wednesday. Following this, an extensive search was conducted in the North District area, revealing graffiti on the Yudhister Setu flyover when approaching Kashmere Gate from Seelampur, according to a senior police official.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Metro), G Ram Gopal Naik, has stated that a case is in the process of being registered under pertinent sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and other relevant laws regarding the incident. DCP Naik remarked, “We are initiating a case and forming teams to identify and apprehend the individual responsible for painting the walls with such slogans. Stringent action will be taken against them.” The defacement featured objectionable graffiti bearing the name of the prohibited separatist group Sikh for Justice (SFJ). It included slogans such as “Delhi Banyga Khalistan” (Delhi would become Khalistan), “Khalistan Referendum Zindabad,” and “Modi’s India Committed Genocide of Sikhs.”
An FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Public Property Act, and a thorough investigation into the matter has been initiated, as stated by the official. In a previous incident in August, the Delhi Police Crime Branch arrested two individuals from Punjab on charges of defacing walls at five Delhi Metro stations with pro-Khalistani messages. The accused, Pritpal Singh (30), and his associate Rajvinder alias Kale, associated with the banned terror outfit SFJ, were allegedly promised USD 7,000 for the defacement job by the SFJ handler, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The defaced metro stations included Shivaji Park, Madipur, Paschim Vihar, Udyog Nagar, and Maharaja Surajmal Stadium, along with a government school wall in Nangloi. A video purportedly released by the banned organization Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) displayed the vandalized metro station walls.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently stated that intelligence agencies were investigating “credible” allegations linking Indian agents to Nijjar’s death. The allegations have heightened tensions between the two nations, leading to the expulsion of diplomats in a reciprocal manner and India temporarily suspending visas for Canadians. India has dismissed Trudeau’s claims as “absurd” and issued a travel advisory warning its citizens about increasing “anti-India activities” in Canada.
