Days before the BRICS summit, anti-BRICS graffiti and pro-Khalistan slogans appeared on the walls of the Guru Tegh Bahadur Memorial near Delhi’s Singhu Border, triggering a police manhunt that ended with the arrest of three men.
Among them was a 31-year-old law degree holder whom the Delhi Police have described as a “dedicated cadre” of the banned Sikh for Justice (SFJ) and an alleged associate of its founder, Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Delhi Police allege that Preetpal Singh, who they say has been associated with SFJ since 2018, helped orchestrate the graffiti and is currently facing seven cases linked to alleged anti-India activities.
Singh was arrested Friday after a massive manhunt that began when the graffiti surfaced on the memorial’s walls September 6. Police said two other accused, Harminder Singh, 51, and Niranjan Singh, 35, were arrested in Faridkot, Punjab, after CCTV footage allegedly showed them traveling to Delhi and painting the graffiti.
“Preetpal had assigned them the task for Rs. 1.5 lakh,” a senior police official said.
According to police, Preetpal, a resident of Faridkot, holds an MA and an LLB degree. Police described him as a “dedicated cadre” of SFJ.
During interrogation, police said Preetpal revealed that he came in contact with SFJ in 2018 after being influenced by its ideology.
“He contacted SFJ through an online contact number in 2018. From there, he was assigned a person with whom he would discuss Khalistan and the functioning of SFJ,” a police officer said.
According to police, SFJ members assigned him tasks such as publishing posters and carrying out campaigns in Punjab and Haryana.
In 2022, he was booked in Amritsar for allegedly carrying out a pro-Khalistan campaign on the anniversary of Operation blue star, the senior police officer said.
In 2023, Preetpal was allegedly involved in painting the walls of metro stations in West Delhi with pro-Khalistan slogans during the G20 Summit. The Delhi Police arrested him in connection with the case and booked him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, or UAPA. He was granted interim bail in April but allegedly continued his pro-Khalistan activities.
“His mobile phone, which has now been seized by the police, was found to contain conversations with Pannun through online communication apps. He also allegedly received funds in dollars for anti-India activities,” a police officer said.
The officer said Preetpal is currently facing seven cases, including the latest one, in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.
Before the BRICS summit, police said, Preetpal allegedly approached Harminder and Niranjan on the directions of Pannun and offered them financial assistance to carry out the graffiti in Delhi.
“The duo traveled to Delhi in a car on the intervening night of Sept. 5 and 6, painted the graffiti and fled back to Punjab,” a police officer said.
