'Mysterious' graffiti on Delhi metro trains, FIRs lodged

New Delhi: Delhi Police has registered two cases in connection with 'mysterious' graffiti on train coaches parked at Yamuna Bank yard and near Shahdara metro station in east Delhi, officials said on Monday.

Earlier, similar cases have come to light from Kerala and Gujarat, where a group of graffiti artists, including foreign nationals were found to be involved committing such acts for fun, a police officer said.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Transport) Vijay Singh said the Delhi police are looking into the incidents.

The first case was reported at the Yamuna Bank metro yard where someone breached the wall late night and got inside, after which the person painted a portion of one of the coaches parked at the yard.

The metro staff spotted the graffitti on March 31.

"A wagon painted with multiple colour spray and words like 'Demo' and 'AAA' were found to be written on the coach. The matter was immediately informed to the local police and a case was registered," a police officer said.

In the second incident that occurred on April 4 night, a train parked on the tracks near Shahdara metro station was found to be the target of graffiti artists.

"In this case, the perpetrators suspectedly climbed on a tree to reach the train parked on the tracks," the officer said, adding that the phrase 'No Problem' was written on the coach.

Based on the incidents, two separate FIRs have been registered under Sections 451 (trespassing) of the Indian Penal Code and 78 of the DMRC and Defacement of Property Act against unknown persons, police said.

An officer privy to the investigations said the police are trying to decode the message written on the coaches and the CCTV cameras installed at the metro stations are being scanned to identify the perpetrators.

The Delhi Police Special Cell has also been informed about the incidents, he said.

Another officer said this is not an isolated incident, earlier similar kind of cases were reported Gujarat and Kerala.

In May 2022, some unidentified persons entered a metro yard in Kochi by breaking the barbed fences and writing words such as 'Burn', 'Splash' and 'First Hit Kochi' on the coaches of a train.

In October, 2022, a similar kind of breach was reported from a metro station in Ahmedabad in which a team of Gujarat police nabbed a group of Italian youths who were allegedly involved in making the graffiti.

Security at Delhi metro stations is looked after by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Delhi Police.