R-Day Violence: Man Seen Swinging Swords at Red Fort Arrested

In a video, Singh was seen swinging swords at the Red Fort on 26 January, when the protesters entered the fort. Image used for representation. 

(Photo: Eshwar Ranjana/The Quint)

Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested Maninder Singh, one of the wanted accused in the Red Fort violence case, who was seen swinging swords with both hands on 26 January.

Two swords ('khandas') of 4.3 feet size, were seen being used by Singh at the Red Fort, which have also been recovered from his house in Delhi's Swaroop Nagar.

The police said, “He was doing the act with an intent to motivate, radicalise, and energise the violent anti-national elements indulging in brutal attack on police persons on duty with swords, 'khandas', iron rods, axes, 'barsaas', 'dandas', and damaging the historical monument on Republic Day.

Maninder Singh alias Moni is a resident of Swaroop Nagar and works as an AC car mechanic.

He was arrested under 41.1 CrPC around 7.45 pm on Tuesday near a bus stop in the CD block of Pitampura.

The arrested accused has disclosed that he was provoked by Facebook posts of various groups, and used to frequently visit the Singhu border. He admitted to being highly motivated by speeches made by the leaders there.

He also disclosed that he had further motivated six people in his neighbourhood in the Swaroop Nagar area. All six of them, riding on bikes, had accompanied the tractor rally of farmers heading from the Singhu border towards the Mukarba Chowk on 26 January. Before joining the tractor rally, Maninder had kept the two swords with him.

As per their plan, the accused along with his five associates and other unknown armed miscreants entered the Red Fort and Maninder did the sword-swinging.

"That sword-swinging had motivated violent protesters to cause more mayhem at the Red Fort by indulging in all sorts of violence against the public servants, including policemen on duty there, and causing damage to the historical monument of Red Fort," PS Kushwah, DCP Special Cell said.

Singh also runs a sword training school in an empty plot near his house.

A video showing him swinging swords at the Red Fort on 26 January has been recovered from his mobile phone. Other photos of his presence at the protest site of Singhu border on various days were also found in his phone.