Metro Graffiti Sparks Arrest: Artist Taken into Custody

Delhi Metro Police arrested Rajiv Kumar Singh for defacing the Mandi House Metro Station with graffiti. The incident, captured on CCTV, led to an investigation linking Singh to the act. A fine arts graduate, Singh admitted to the defacement, inspired by a poem about earthworms.

The Delhi Metro Police have apprehended a man in connection with an act of defacement at the Mandi House Metro Station. The arrest came after a graffiti incident on January 23, 2025, at approximately 10:00 PM, where CCTV footage revealed an individual inscribing "PM EARTHWORMS ARE BETTER THAN YOU POPA" on a wall with a black sketch pen.

A case has been registered under the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property (DPDP) Act and Section 73 of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Act. The investigation promptly commenced, involving a thorough review of CCTV imagery, which allowed authorities to identify the suspect as Rajiv Kumar Singh, a resident of Village Yourajpur, Gazipur, Uttar Pradesh. Singh was swiftly taken into custody.

Upon interrogation, Singh confessed to the act, disclosing that he attended a painting exhibition at Lalit Kala Academy near Mandi House earlier that evening. After socializing with friends, Singh arrived at the Mandi House bus stand around 9:45 PM, subsequently proceeding to vandalize the metro station with the graffiti. Singh cited inspiration from a poem about earthworms read earlier that day, and "POPA" was revealed to be his signature mark, previously used on road pillars and other public venues.

Singh holds a Fine Arts degree from Jamia Millia Islamia University, Delhi, and is currently employed as a teacher in Wazirabad, Delhi. Following further investigation, Section 351 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was additionally invoked in the charges against him. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)