Dutch national among 2 arrested over Red Fort violence

A protester at Red Fort in New Delhi. Pic/AFP

Delhi Police have arrested two more people in connection to the January 26 Red Fort violence, including a Birmingham-based Dutch national who is of Indian-origin. While the Dutch national has been identified as Maninderjit Singh (23), the second arrested person is Delhi resident Khempreet (21) who had a policeman with a spear inside the Red Fort premises. The two men were arrested on Tuesday night.

According to the police, Maninderjit Singh was trying to flee the country with forged documents and posing himself as Jarmanjit Singh Khabbe Rajputan from Gurdaspur, Punjab. A Look Out Corner notice was issued against him. and as per his plan and arrangements, he was to fly first to Nepal from Delhi and then to the UK. Maninderjit Singh was previously involved in a riots case registered with the Rangar Nangal police station in Gurdaspur and also has a case of cheating at Indira Gandhi International Airport Police Station in New Delhi.

"The accused Maninderjit Singh was involved in the Red Fort violence case. There are video footages on record, which shows the presence of the accused alongside the unlawfully assembled unruly riotous mob carrying a ‘bhaala' (spear) during the farmers' agitation on January 26," Monika Bhardwaj, DCP Crime, said. Delhi Police further said that electronic evidence corroborates the fact that the accused had also visited Singhu border protest site on different dates.

"He holds a Netherlands passport. Presently, the accused along with his family is settled in Birmingham, and is employed as a construction labourer. In December 2019, the accused visited India and due to the 2020 lockdown, he could not return to the UK," the officer added. He was produced before a court and his four days of PC remand has been taken by Delhi Police. Meanwhile, the second accused Khempreet was also actively involved in the Red Fort violence, according to the police. During analysis of videos available on case record, he along with other associates was seen carrying a big spears and assaulting police personnel on duty inside the Red Fort. So far, a total of 14 people have been arrested in connection to the Red Fort violence.

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