New Delhi: Pro-Khalistan slogans found at 2 Delhi metro stations. Authorities launched a police inquiry after discovering pro-Khalistan messages inscribed on pillars at two Delhi metro stations, Karol Bagh and Jhandewalan.

The slogans, attributed to supporters of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), a proscribed Sikh separatist organization operating from the United States, prompted immediate attention from law enforcement.

The Delhi police have initiated legal action by filing a First Information Report (FIR) and have secured CCTV footage from Delhi Metro authorities to assist in their probe.

A security guard, upon arriving for duty at a nearby building on Sunday morning, noticed black-painted slogans on the pillars of the metro station. “I began my shift at 8 am and observed inscriptions in black paint on the metro station pillars,” the guard reported.

Karol Bagh Metro Station (Representative Image)

Bajrangi, the security guard, informed ANI that a large crowd had assembled at the site, reading the slogans. He speculated that the slogans might have been painted during the night, when there were no witnesses present.

This incident is part of a recurring pattern, as previous instances of pro-Khalistani graffiti have occurred in Delhi. In January of this year, the Delhi Police arrested a man suspected of creating pro-Khalistani graffiti in the Tilak Nagar locality.

Additionally, in August of the preceding year, the Delhi Police Special Cell detained two individuals from Punjab in relation to pro-Khalistan slogans and graffiti found at over five metro stations in Delhi.

According to Indian law, Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) prohibits and penalizes the making of statements, speeches, or actions that disrupt public peace or law and order by fostering hostility or instilling fear or apprehension among groups of people based on differences in religion, caste, language, or place of birth.

Furthermore, Section 505 of the IPC addresses the consequences for individuals who disseminate information or rumors with the intention, or likelihood, of generating fear or alarm among the public or a particular group, thereby potentially prompting someone to commit an offense against the State or public peace.

This section also covers acts intended to provoke, or likely to provoke, one group or community to commit an offense against another group or community. The section stipulates that the individual may face imprisonment for up to three years, a fine, or both penalties.

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