Watch: Ranjit Singh's statue vandalised for third time in Lahore 

LAHORE – A man was apprehended for vandalizing the statue of Sikh leader Maharaja Ranjit Singh for the third time.

The statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, which is located outside Lahore fort, has been vandalized on Tuesday while the suspect involved in the act has been caught by the passersby who later handed him to police.

The man, who is identified as Rizwan, can be seen damaging the statue of the Sikh leader with a hammer and this time he broke the arms and leg of the statue. He then toppled it down from the rearing horse. He can also be heard chanting slogans while the people get hold of him.

The statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh was smashed in the royal for Lahore. The accused entered the fence and smashed the statue.@BBhuttoZardari @BakhtawarBZ @KDSindhi @AsadAToor @MarianaBaabar @Xadeejournalist @Matiullahjan919 @GulBukhari pic.twitter.com/HNgBKh0UmW

— Raza Dharejo PPP (Official) (@RazaDharijo) August 17, 2021

Lahore’s Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ghulam Mahmood Dogar while speaking with a publication mentioned that he took notice and ensured action against the incident. He also directed SP City to reach Lahore Fort and take control of the situation.

The statue was placed outside the Haveli of Rani Jindan which is now called the Sikh Gallery at the Lahore Fort.

The recent incident is the third in a series and it occurred 1.5 years later after the statue was inaugurated following the second attack of vandalism, when two men struck it with wooden rods, resulting in the breakage of one of its arms and damage to other parts.

Earlier, the authorities had taken months to finish the statue of the Singh sitting on his favorite horse, Kahar Bahar, a gift from Dost Muhammad Khan, the founder of the Barakzai dynasty.