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Agencies

Red Fort violence case: Prime accused Maninder Singh arrested, swords seized
17-February-2021

Maninder Singh, wanted in the Red Fort violence case, has been arrested. According to the Special Cell of Delhi Police, Singh was arrested from Pitam Pura area of the national capital on Tuesday evening. Police said that two swords were also recovered from his house in Swaroop Nagar.

During interrogation, Singh told police that he visited Singhu border, one of the farmers' protest sites in Delhi, regularly. Singh said that he was highly "motivated" by speeches made by leaders there.

Singh was arrested during a raid by the team of Special Cell. The 30-year-old is the son of Jaswant Singh. He is a resident of Sindhi Colony in the Swaroop Nagar area of Delhi.

A car AC mechanic by profession, Singh was seen in a video swinging two swords at Red Fort on January 26. "Arrested accused has disclosed to have been radicalised by seeing provoking Facebook posts of various groups," the Delhi Police said in a statement.

Police said that Singh also motivated six persons of the neighbourhood in Swaroop Nagar area. All six of them, riding upon bikes, had accompanied tractor rally of farmers heading from Singhu border towards Mukarba Chowk on the Republic Day. Before joining tractors rally, Singh had kept two swords with him.


As per their plan, accused along with his five associates and other unknown armed miscreants entered in Red Fort and Singh did sword dancing/swinging. That sword dancing had motivated violent protesters to cause mayhem at Red Fort by indulging in all sorts of violence against public servants including policemen on duty there and causing damage to historical monument of Red Fort, police said.

Police said that Singh also runs a sword training school in an empty plot near his house in Swaroop Nagar. A long video showing him swinging swords at Red Fort has been found in his mobile phone. Other photos of his presence at protest site of Singhu border off and on are in his phone.

Thousands of protesting farmers had clashed with the police during the tractor parade called by farmer unions on January 26 to highlight their demand for repeal of the three farm laws. Protesters deviated from the designated route for the proposed tractor parade and barged into the Red Fort. They also attacked cops, vandalised police vehicles and the ticket counter at the Red Fort.

Some of them hoisted religious flags at Red Fort, the Mughal era monument from where the Prime Minister addresses the nation on Independence Day. The saffron flag hoisted by protesters was the 'Nishan Sahib', a symbol of Sikh religion seen at all Gurdwara complexes. The 'Nishan Sahib' is a triangular flag that is sacred to Sikhs. The flag is seen at all Gurdwara complexes. The emblem on the flag comprises of 'Khanda', a two-edged sword, Chakra, a disc, and two Kirpans that cross each other at the handles. The other flag appeared to be of a farmer union.