Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu, arrested by the special cell of Delhi Police on Tuesday, has been accused of instigating the mob at Red Fort, fuelling violence and chaos during the farmers’ protests in the Capital on January 26. The arrest by the special cell follows a case being slapped against him under section 124A of Indian Penal Code for sedition even as the police issued lookout notices against farmers’ leaders named in the three dozen FIRs including Sidhu.
The Delhi Police had announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh each for information that can lead to arrests of Deep Sidhu, Jugraj Singh and Gurjant Singh. The police also announced Rs 50,000 each for arrests of Jasbir Singh, Boota Singh, Sukhdev Singh and Iqbal Singh for their alleged involvement in Republic Day violence.
The special cell of Delhi Police is investigating the unlawful activities leading to the larger conspiracy that resulted in the breach of security and incidents leading up to the violence and seditious activities at Red Fort. The crime branch of Delhi Police is looking at the rioting and mob violence while there is the original FIR registered at Kotwali police station pertaining to obstructing a public servant from discharge of his duty, assault, robbery, attempt to murder against Sidhu and others.
According to the investigators, Deep Sidhu has claimed that he got emotionally attached to the cause of farmers. Sidhu is famous for his work in Jora—a two-part film where he acted as a local gangster who grew in ambition to become a political leader and overcame obstacles even as he gained enemies along the way. Sources say Sidhu did not have too much of film work during the lockdown. Since August, when the protests started, he started taking interest in it. Since he had acted in movies, youngsters at protest sites came in large numbers to him. Being able to converse in English, the media and youngsters spoke to him, and Sidhu started fronting the protests at some places.
He also started making videos and sending it to contacts in California for using it on social media to garner more support. He is learnt to have first reached Delhi with farmers on November 28, 2020.
Sources said he suspected that the farmers’ leaders were going soft in their talks with the government and during tractor rally meetings with the Delhi Police.
Few days before the Republic Day parade, Sidhu along with his supporters decided to breach the designated route. Investigators said Sidhu allegedly asked his supporters to steal fleece jackets, which were to be given to volunteers and the idea was to reach Red Fort and if possible India Gate in the national capital.
Sidhu has denied links with radical elements and Khalistani outfits, but he is thought to believe in the hard-line ideology. The investigations so far have also revealed that absconding accused, Jugraj Singh, was specifically brought in to hoist the religious flag. A native of Taran Taran, Jugraj used to hoist flags in religious congregations, according to sources.
Another associate, Sukhdev Singh, was arrested on Sunday from Chandigarh. He is learnt to have been part of the protests from the beginning and was spotted at Lahori Gate of Red Fort. It is learnt that on February 2, he had allegedly met Rakesh Tikait at Ghazipur and even participated in chakka jam on February 6. So far, more than hundred persons have been arrested and nearly 45 FIRs registered in the case. The police is further probing the matter and investigations are in progress.