Three operatives of the banned outfit Sikhs for Justice were arrested for writing pro-Khalistan slogans in Bathinda in Punjab and Delhi, Punjab Police said on Tuesday (May 14). The arrest was made by the Counter-Intelligence wing, Bathinda, said Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav.
"In a major breakthrough, Counter-Intelligence, Bathinda & Bathinda Police have arrested three #SFJ operatives for writing Pro-Khalistan slogans at various public places including Bathinda, #Punjab & #Delhi, backed by #NewYork-based mastermind Gurpatwant Pannun of Sikhs for Justice (#SFJ)," said Yadav in a post on X.
The police action comes after pro-Khalistan slogans were found written on the walls of the district administrative complex and court complex in Bathinda on April 27.
Pro-Khalistan slogans seen in Delhi
Similar slogans were also seen at the Jhandewalan Metro Station and Karol Bagh Metro Station in Delhi on May 9.
Pro-Khalistan graffiti and slogans targeting India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were discovered written on pillars of Delhi metro stations. The slogans were found at Karol Bagh and Jhandewalan Metro Stations, police said on Sunday. The slogans were written by supporters of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), a banned Sikh separatist group based in the United States.
The Delhi Police lodged an FIR and acquired CCTV footage from the Delhi Metro authorities to aid in their investigation.
"We have formed teams to probe the matter. Police teams are scanning CCTV cameras in the area and on the metro stations to identify the culprits and nab them. A case under relevant sections of the IPC has been registered and graffiti and slogans have been removed," the officer said.
Similar incident happened last year
This is not the first time that such incident is happening in the national capital. There have been prior cases of pro-Khalistani graffiti in Delhi. In January of this year, the Delhi Police arrested a man for reportedly creating pro-Khalistani graffiti on walls in the Tilak Nagar area. Additionally, in August of last year, the Delhi Police Special Cell detained two individuals from Punjab in relation to pro-Khalistan graffiti and slogans found at over five metro stations in Delhi.
(With inputs from agencies)
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