The Delhi Police arrested Hindu Sena chief Vishnu Gupta on Friday in connection with the vandalism of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) office near Barakhamba road by the members of his outfit.
Gupta was arrested under Sections 120B (being party to a criminal conspiracy), 147 (rioting), 149 (being the member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 427 (mischief causing damage to property) and 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint) of IPC, said police.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs has asked the Delhi Police to strengthen the security around the office of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). “The MEA has directed police to beef up security near and around the PIA office,” MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.
Immediately after the attack on Thursday, the Pakistan High Commission took up the matter with the MEA asking them to provide adequate security to the PIA offices in New Delhi and Mumbai and to take action against the miscreants
“Police are still looking for the other Hindu Sena members who were involved in the vandalism,” DCP (New Delhi) Jatin Narwal said. Four members of Hindu Sena on Thursday ransacked the fifth floor office of Pakistan International Airlines at Narayan Manzil in Barakhamba Road around 3.15 pm, damaging computers, furniture and other items. Police later arrested one member of the group, who was identified as lalit Singh, while three others fled. The members also left pamphlets which said, “There should be no talks with Pakistan unless they take stern action against people who have caused damage to India and hand over people like Dawood Ibrahim and Hafiz Saeed to India.”
Owning responsibility of the incident, Gupta had vented anger at Pakistan holding it responsible for the attacks at Pathankot airbase as well as at the Indian consulate in the Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif recently. Gupta was also arrested last October, days after his complaint that “beef” was being served at Kerala House canteen here was found to be false.