Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu, accused in Red Fort violence case, arrested

Punjabi actor and singer Deep Sidhu, who has earlier been named by the Delhi Police in its FIR in connection with the January 26 violence in the national capital has been arrested. Confirming the development, Delhi Police said on Tuesday that Deep Sidhu has been arrested by the Special Cell.

NEW DELHI: Punjabi actor and singer Deep Sidhu, who has earlier been named by the Delhi Police in its FIR in connection with the January 26 violence at the historic Red Fort in the national capital, has been arrested. 

Confirming the development, Delhi Police said on Tuesday that Deep Sidhu has been arrested by the Special Cell. Delhi Police has still not disclosed the location from where the actor was arrested.  

The arrest was made by a team of Delhi Police's Special Cell, said Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell).

Delhi Police had on Wednesday announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh each for information leading to the arrest of key accused in farmers’ tractor rally violence on January 26. According to reports, the Delhi Police had announced Rs 1 lakh reward for information leading to the arrest of Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu, Jugraj Singh, Gurjot Singh and Gurjant Singh.

The police also announced a cash reward of Rs 50,000 each for the arrest of Jajbir Singh, Buta Singh, Sukhdev Singh and Iqbal Singh for their alleged involvement in Jan 26 violence. 

On his part, Deep Sidhu has denied all allegations of inciting the farmers during their tractor march on January 26.

The actor also released a fresh video on his Facebook account and wrote in the caption: "We can't fight the battle bases on lies, start accepting the truth. I just got to know they have arrested our youth, let's get them out on priority, let's stay united and fight this. UP's boy Navneet martyred, tomorrow's boy's Bhog is UP, in reality, Bhog should have been suffered in the farmer's protest by declaring this movement as martyr from the stage in Delhi, it is a request that the families who lost their only child in this protest. Stand by."

Deep Sidhu had earlier uploaded a video on his verified Facebook account in which he was seen talking in Punjabi and claiming that he did nothing wrong.

According to Delhi Police, all those named in its FIRs were allegedly involved in hoisting a religious flag (Nishan Sahib) at the Red Fort and the violence which was witnessed on the Republic Day.

With this, the Delhi Police intensified its investigation into the violence and the mayhem unleashed during the farmers’ tractor rally on January 26 and launched a massive search against 12 rioters identified by it.

The police are currently identifying the rioters who were responsible for the violence on January 26 in the name of farmers’ tractor parade. The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police, which is investigating the case, has begun taking the help of the forensic team to identify the rioters being held responsible for the violence in the national capital on the Republic Day.

The Crime Branch has found several videos of the violence during the farmers’ tractor rally on January 26. The Delhi Police, with the help of the forensic team, has been able to identify the blurred faces of the rioters from those videos.

The police have also zeroed in on 12 people who can be seen carrying sticks and rods during the farmers’’ tractor rally on January 26. These miscreants, according to the police, had indulged in violence and attacked policemen at many places, including the Red Fort, during the tractor rally.

Farmers have been protesting at the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws: Farmers` Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.