New Delhi, April 7 The man behind the Delhi Assembly security breach was upset that he was told about his nephew's disappearance three days after he went missing, his family said.
The Delhi Police is investigating the circumstances leading up to the assembly security breach. Sarabjeet Singh, who was arrested for driving an SUV into the complex at high speed on Monday, found out about his missing nephew a day before, they said.
A police investigation has found that Singh wanted to draw the attention of authorities towards the disappearance of his nephew, officials said.
On Tuesday evening, the family received a fresh lead about the whereabouts of his 20-year-old nephew, Harman Singh, near Nangal in Punjab’s Anandpur Sahib – the same area where his last-known location was traced on April 2.
"Singh's nephew, Harman, a BTech student at a private college in west Delhi’s Hari Nagar, lived in rented accommodation nearby. His family claimed that he left Delhi by bus on April 1, adding that he last spoke to his mother on April 2 before switching off his mobile phone," police said.
"He sounded normal but did not disclose where he was,” said his father, Harpreet Singh, a farmer.
As Harman's phone remained switched off for hours, Harpreet said he reached Delhi late on April 2 and filed a missing persons complaint at Hari Nagar police station.
Since then, several posts about Harman’s disappearance have surfaced on social media. The family has also circulated posters and announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh for information.
Police sources said that Sarabjeet confronted Harpreet after learning about the disappearance and argued about why he was not informed.
“We initially did not inform Sarabjeet about Harman going missing because he has been under treatment for depression for nearly eight years. We feared the news would disturb him,” Harpreet said.
He further said that on April 5, Singh came to Anandpur Sahib in his SUV, and questioned Harpreet why he had not sought more help from Delhi Police, claiming he had also spoken to the Delhi chief minister about it.
“He was not carrying his medication, and his family said he had skipped it for a week,” Harpreet added.
Police said efforts are underway to trace Singh’s movements on the day of the incident and in the days leading up to it.
Police further said the probe into the assembly breach suggests Singh intended to draw attention to his nephew’s disappearance.
Police have described Sarabjeet's driving as "dangerous", which appeared to attempt "to run over security personnel on duty, thereby endangering their lives”.
The SUV, bearing a Uttar Pradesh registration from Pilibhit, entered through Gate No 2 around 2 pm after breaking boom barriers. Police sources said that after the incident, he visited a gurdwara in north Delhi and stayed there for one hour.
Sarabjeet was arrested along with two others about two hours after the incident.
Police said his behaviour in custody has been highly aggressive, with him shaking the lock-up grills, shouting, and making incoherent claims.
A case has been registered against him under multiple sections, including attempt to murder, criminal trespass with preparation to commit an offence, and use of criminal force against a public servant. Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and provisions related to obstruction of public servants have also been invoked.
Police interrogation to ascertain the motive is currently underway.