After registering more than 25 FIRs and arresting 30 people for pasting posters across the capital questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the vaccination policy, the Delhi police on Sunday claimed that an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) worker is behind the plot.
Police took to Twitter to inform about the development.
“Police while patrolling to enforce Lockdown announced by DDMA, created by GNCTD, noticed walls in several areas being defaced by pasting posters. Accused persons on questioning told an AAP member & President of Ward 47, Arvind Gautam was behind it in Mangolpuri. He is absconding,” the Delhi police tweeted.
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According to the police, an FIR was registered under relevant Sections at the Mangolpuri police station earlier this week for defacement of a wall adjacent to Kanjhawala Road by pasting posters mentioning therein that “
There was no details of printing press or publisher mentioned on these posters. From the video footage, the accused were identified who were seen pasting the posters around 4 a.m., police said.
The accused disclosed during interrogation that Mr. Gautam, a resident of Sultanpur Majra, who is a worker of the AAP at Sultanpur Majra, had sent an order on WhatsApp to one Rahul regarding the subject matter of printing and ₹9,000 for printing and affixing these posters or hoardings, they said.
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Mr. Rahul made a graphic image for printing and placed the order with Rajesh Sharma via email. Mr. Rahul (26), a resident of Mangolpuri, runs a graphic designing shop, Mamta Graphics, at his address and made a digital copy of these posters or hoarding as per the order image received from Gautam, police said.
One Anil Kumar (25), a resident of Sultanpuri, is an e-rickshaw driver from whom the hoardings were recovered, police said.
Mr. Rajesh Sharma (48), a resident of Mongolpuri, is the owner of Addline Printing Press. This order was given by Mr. Rahul via email to Mr. Rajesh. The printer did not mention the name of press in the footnote of the printed material and violated DDMA guidelines for running press in this lockdown period, police said.
25 FIRs filed
The Delhi police on Saturday said they had registered 25 FIRs and arrested as many people for allegedly pasting posters critical of the Prime Minister in connection with the vaccination drive against COVID-19. The posters were plastered in several parts of the city, they had said.
On Thursday, the police received information about the posters following which senior officers of the districts were alerted.
Based on further complaints, 25 FIRs were registered under Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code and other relevant Sections, including Section 3 of the Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, across various districts of the Delhi police, officials had said.
A senior police officer said, “More FIRs are likely to be registered if further complaints are received in this regard. As of now, investigation is under way to ascertain on whose behalf these posters were being put up at various places across the city and accordingly further action will be taken.”
He added that stringent action will be taken against people who tried to create law and order problem.