Delhi Police arrest 30-year-old mechanic seen swinging swords at Red Fort on Jan 26

New Delhi: As the Delhi Police seemingly get closer to solving the Republic Day "conspiracy" through the "toolkit" FIR, the Special Cell arrested a 30-year-old car A/C mechanic, allegedly seen swinging swords with the intent of "motivating" and "energising" protesters at the Red Fort during the violence on January 26, the police said.

Maninder Singh, who runs a sword training school near his home in Swaroop Nagar in north-west Delhi and works as a car AC mechanic, was arrested at around 7.45 pm on Tuesday near the CD Block bus stop in nearby Pitampura, police said.

"Singh was seen in a video swinging two swords at Red Fort with the intent of motivating or radicalising and energising violent anti-national elements indulging in brutal assault and attacking police persons on duty with swords, 'khandas', iron rods, axes, 'barsaas', sticks etc and damaging the historical Red Fort on Republic Day," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwah said in a statement.

Over 120 people have been arrested so far in connection with the violence across Delhi on January 26, officials said.

Singh was "radicalised" by seeing provoking Facebook posts of various groups, police said, adding he would frequently visit the Singhu border and was "highly motivated" by speeches made by leaders there. According to police, Singh also "motivated" six people from the neighbourhood who had accompanied the tractor parade that headed from Singhu border towards the Mukarba Chowk.

Two swords — 4.3-foot-long 'khandas' — used by Singh have been recovered from his house, police added.