— ACCUSED WERE IN TOUCH WITH FOREIGN-BASED SHAMSHER ALIAS SHERA MAAN, ACTED ON DIRECTIONS OF GURPATWANT PANNU: DGP GAURAV YADAV
— ACCUSED WERE LURED INTO SPRAYING PRO-KHALISTAN SLOGANS IN EXCHANGE FOR MONETARY REWARDS, WHICH WERE NEVER DELIVERED: CP ASR GURPREET BHULLAR
CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, August 8:
In a major breakthrough amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Amritsar Commissionerate Police cracked the Pro-Khalistan Graffiti case, with the arrest of two accused persons, including a minor, within 24 hours, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Friday.
As per the information, Pro-Khalistan slogans were appeared at three locations in the city on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. USA-based head of banned outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) Gurpatwant Singh Pannu claimed responsibility by releasing a video of the same on social media.
Those arrested have been identified as Jashanpreet Singh (22), a resident of Dargabad village in Batala and a 17-years-old juvenile.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigation has revealed that both the arrested accused were in contact with foreign-based Shamsher Singh alias Shera Maan, who directed them to carry out the act on instructions from Gurpatwant Pannu. The accused executed the graffiti after receiving instructions and designs via social media mobile-app Snapchat, but the promised payment was never made, he said.
The DGP said that further investigations are underway in this case.
Sharing more details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar the investigative team, led by DCP Ravinderpal Singh and comprising ADCP Jagbinder Singh, ADCP Harpal Singh, ACP Harminder Singh, ACP Shivdarshan Singh and Inspector Amolak Singh (Incharge CIA), Inspector Mohit Kumar (SHO Cantonment), Inspector Gurpreet Singh (SHO Civil Lines), Inspector Amandeep Kaur (SHO A Division) worked meticulously to trace and apprehend the accused.
The CP revealed that the accused were lured into spraying Pro-Khalistan slogans in exchange for monetary rewards, which were never delivered. Probe has revealed that accused Jashanpreet along the minor purchased spray paint from Batala and executed the graffiti, later sharing photographs of the vandalism with Shera Maan as proof, he added.
In this regard, three separate FIRs have been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Prevention of Defacement of Property Act at Police Stations— Contonment, Division-A and Civil Lines.
