DELHI POLICE SEEKS 10-DAY CUSTODY OF DEEP SIDHU, SAYS HE INSTIGATED RIOTS

The Delhi Police on Tuesday sought 10-day remand of Punjabi actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu, who is accused of instigating violence at the Red Fort in Delhi on Republic Day after the proposed farmers’ tractor rally went awry on 26 January.

Sidhu, who was arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi Police from near Karnal on Tuesday morning, was produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Prigya Gupta at the Tis Hazari court in the national capital.

The police told a court that Sidhu is the “main instigator” of the violence on Republic Day at the Red Fort during the farmers’ tractor rally.

During the course of proceedings, the Delhi Police apprised the court that “Deep Sidhu instigated the riots. He is the main instigator. In a video, he is seen entering the ramparts of the Red Fort with the supporters, who are carrying ‘lathis’ and swords.”

The police further told Metropolitan Magistrate Pragiya Gupta that Sidhu patted the back of Jugraj Singh who hoisted the religious flag at the monument. “He instigated the crowd which resulted in violence,” the police said while seeking his custody for interrogation.

The custody was sought for a multitude of reasons, including to visit Mumbai, Punjab and Haryana to explore links, identify and arrest his supporters and recover phones with different SIMs used by him.

The defence counsels strongly opposed the police’s remand application and said that their client had nothing to do with the violence and was merely “at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Slogans of “Jo Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal” were raised outside the court when Sidhu was produced before it amid high security earlier on Tuesday.

Sidhu is accused of fuelling chaos and clashes when the tractor rally by farmers protesting against the Centre’s three agricultural laws descended into violence on Republic Day.

During the clashes, a section of protesters had entered the Red Fort and hoisted a Sikh religious flag. Sidhu had absconded after the incident. Last week, police had announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh for information on Sidhu and others.

On 31 January, Sidhu uploaded a 15 minute video message, titled ‘Straight from my soul’, on his Facebook account. In the video, he was seen giving an emotional statement in Punjabi, which loosely translates to: “I am being defamed…I had left my whole life behind, and come here to join the Punjabis in their protest. But now I am being labelled a traitor.”

WITH IANS INPUTS