News Analysis India

Tag: Deep Sidhu

  • Haryana police registers case against truck driver in Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu’s death case

    By PTI

    SONIPAT: The Haryana Police has registered a case against the truck driver involved in the accident in which Punjabi actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu died, officials said on Wednesday The 37-year-old actor, accused of being the key conspirator of the Red Fort violence on Republic Day last year, died Tuesday evening after his SUV hit a truck on Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway in Sonipat district.

    He was travelling from Delhi to Punjab when the incident occurred near Pipli toll plaza in Kharkhoda, around 25 km from Singhu border, the epicentre of last year’s farmers’ protest against farm laws.

    On the complaint of Deep Sidhu’s brother Maneep, a case has been registered against the truck driver for alleged rash and negligent driving, police said. Officials said the driver has been identified and would be arrested soon.

    Meanwhile, Deep Sidhu’s body was handed over to his relatives after post mortem at the civil hospital here. The entire process was videographed. The body was cremated in a Ludhiana village in Punjab in the evening.

    Sidhu had participated in the farmers’ agitation against the Centre’s three farm laws at the Delhi borders.

    He was arrested on February 9, 2021, in connection with the Red Fort violence on Republic Day during the farmers’ tractor parade against the Centre’s three agriculture laws.

    He was in jail for over two months before being released on bail. The actor, who hailed from Punjab’s Muktsar district, was reportedly present at the Red Fort when a religious flag and a farmer flag were put at the flagpole at the historic monument.

    Following a massive outrage, Sidhu had then defended the protester’s action, saying they did not remove the national flag and had put up the ‘Nishan Sahib’ as a symbolic protest.

    The ‘Nishan Sahib’, a symbol of the Sikh religion, is seen at all gurdwara complexes. At that time, Sidhu was accused by farm bodies of trying to defame their agitation and termed a “traitor”. He had hit out at farm leaders for allegedly spreading propaganda and hatred against him.

  • Actor Deep Sidhu, accused in Red Fort violence on Republic Day, dies in road accident

    By IANS

    CHANDIGARH: Punjabi actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu, who had been named in connection with the violence at Red Fort in Delhi on Republic Day last year, died in a road accident near Delhi on Tuesday.

    The 38-year-old actor was active in the farmers’ protest against the three now repealed Central farm laws.

    The accident took place on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway that bypasses the national capital. Sidhu was going from Delhi to Bathinda in Punjab when the car in which he was travelling rammed into a trailer truck at 9.30 p.m., the police said. His woman co-driver escaped in the accident.

    Sidhu was declared brought dead at the Kharkhoda hospital in Haryana’s Sonipat district.

    On January 26 last year, Sidhu was seen amid the crowd that reached the iconic Red Fort by violating the planned route of the proposed farmers’ tractor march, and was accused of provoking the protesters to instal a Nishan Sahib, a symbol of Sikh religion, on its ramparts.

    Belonging to Muktsar’s Udekaran village in Punjab, Sidhu’s family had left the village in the 80s. His father was an advocate who practised at Gidderbaha.

    In a Facebook live from the Red Fort, Sidhu, who was once known for his proximity to actor and BJP MP Sunny Deol, was heard saying after he was accused in the violence: “We have only hoisted the Nishan Sahib flag on the Red Fort while exercising our democratic right to protest.”

    He had also said that the national flag was not removed from the flagpole at the Red Fort and that nobody raised a question over the country’s unity and integrity.

    In another video, Sidhu could be seen fleeing from the Red Fort on a bike.

    Sidhu, along with gangster-turned-social activist Lakha Sidhana, were named as the main accused in the January 26 violence in Delhi.

    Sidhana is a gangster-turned-politician who was acquitted in several cases before he contested the 2012 Assembly polls as a candidate of the People’s Party of Punjab, once led by Manpreet Singh Badal, who is currently the Finance Minister in the Congress government in Punjab.

    Farmer leaders had, in fact, distanced themselves from both Sidhu and Sidhana and blamed them for inciting violence.

    However, Sidhu, blaming the farmer union leaders of taking decisions without consulting the people and defending himself, said in one of his videos: “I am seeing that false propaganda and hatred is being spread against me.

    “Thousands of people had reached there (the Red Fort), but no farmer leader was present there. Nobody indulged in violence or damaged any public property. They put up the Nishan Sahib and a farmer flag at the flagpole to register their protest,” he had said.

    “Many people were carrying Nishan Sahib flags, farmer flags and the tricolour. If you say by doing so I have turned traitor, then those who were present there were traitors too,” Sidhu had said.

    On the farmer union leaders calling him an RSS man, Sidhu had said that only a truthful person would be able to hoist a flag at the Red Fort.

    “You’re calling me an RSS man, a BJP man. Will an RSS man put the flag atop Red Fort? Think about it. Will a Congressman be able to do so? No. Only a pure and truthful person will do so. By calling one person a traitor, you are referring to the whole crowd,” he had said.

    Born in 1984 in Punjab’s Muktsar district, Sidhu, who was associated with the agitation against the three contentious farm laws, studied law.

    His first Punjabi movie, ‘Ramta Jogi’, was released in 2015. His second movie, ‘Jora Das Numbria’, which released in 2018, was hit.

  • Court takes cognisance of charge sheet against Deep Sidhu, others in R-Day violence case

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Saturday took cognisance of the supplementary charge sheet filed against actor-activist Deep Sidhu and others in the Republic Day violence case.

    Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Gajendra Singh Nagar has summoned all the accused through video conferencing on June 29.

    Production warrants have been issued against Maninder Singh and Khempreet Singh, who are still in judicial custody.

    On January 26, protesting farmers clashed with police during the tractor rally against three farm laws and stormed into the Red Fort injuring scores of policemen.

    The police had filed a supplementary charge sheet on June 17.

    The investigating officer pointed out names of the witnesses who were severely injured or from whom weapon was snatched, in the final report.

    The Delhi Police Crime Branch, which is tasked with the investigation, had filed a 3,224 page-long first charge sheet against Sidhu and 15 others on May 17, nearly four months after the violence.

    Sidhu, who was accused of being the key conspirator of the violence, was arrested on February 9.

    The police had also accused him of fuelling the chaos at the Red fort.

  • Republic Day violence: Police files supplementary charge sheet against Deep Sidhu, others

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Thursday filed a supplementary charge sheet against actor-activist Deep Sidhu and others in the Republic Day violence case.

    Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Gajendra Singh Nagar will pass the order on the point of cognisance of the fresh charge sheet on June 19 at 2 pm.

    “The investigating officer of the case pointed out the names of the witnesses who were severely injured or from whom the weapon was snatched,” the court noted.

    On January 26, protesting farmers clashed with the police during the tractor rally against three farm laws and stormed into the Red Fort injuring scores of policemen.

    The Crime Branch is tasked with investigating the case.

    On May 17, it filed a 3,224-page charge sheet and sought prosecution of 16 accused including Sidhu.

    Sidhu, who was accused of being the key conspirator of the violence, was arrested on February 9.

    The police had also accused him of fuelling the chaos at the Red fort.

  • Police supposed to collect evidence for true picture, says court on Deep Sidhu’s plea

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Police is not supposed to collect evidence only to prove the guilt of the accused but also to bring forth a true picture, a Delhi court said on Friday while directing a probe on the plea by actor-activist Deep Sidhu who claimed he was not an “instigator” of the Red Fort violence on the Republic Day during farmers’ tractor parade against the Centre’s three new agri laws.

    The court added however that appropriate action may be taken and relevant sections added to the charges if Sidhu was trying to mislead the investigation by fabricating false evidence.

    “IO (investigating officer) is duty bound to conduct proper investigation in the matter in a fair and impartial manner. He is not supposed to collect the evidence only to prove the guilt of the accused, rather he has to bring the true picture before the court,” Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Gajender Singh Nagar said in his order.

    The court was hearing Sidhu’s plea seeking directions to the police to include all videos and other material on record which allegedly proved his innocence and conduct a fair and impartial investigation in the case.

    During the hearing, advocate Abhishek Gupta, appearing for Sidhu, told the court that Sidhu was not an instigator of the incident at Red Fort, as alleged by the police.

    “There is no video of him calling the people to gather at Red Fort. He did not indulge in any kind of violence taking place at Red Fort. He was only a peaceful protestor,” Gupta claimed.

    He further claimed that Sidhu was staying at a hotel in Murthal from where he checked out at 12 pm on February 26 and left for Delhi only after checking out.

    “The CCTV footage of the hotel, which was in working condition, checkout bill showing the time/ payment details, as online payment was made, be obtained to ascertain this. Further, the car navigation system installed in the Ford Endeavor car used by him which is in police possession would also show the route taken by him to reach from Murthal to Red Fort along with timings and time taken in the same,” he submitted.

    Sidhu reached the area around Red Fort only around 2 pm, which can be proven by his phone location and by that time a huge crowd has already gathered at the spot, Gupta said.

    He claimed there was CCTV footage of the Red Fort in which Sidhu can be seen helping the police by requesting the crowd to leave the rampart where they were trying to hoist the flag.

    The plea also alleged that the police has chosen not to check the evidence which completely belies the case thrusted upon the applicant/accused (Sidhu).

    “Further, the CCTV footage of the Red Fort is already with the investigating agency which shows that the applicant/accused did not participate in any act of violence and rather he was helping the police in pacifying the crowd.”

    “Applicant/accused is apprehensive that the CCTV footage and the video will also not be considered by the police (CCTV footage of Red Fort from 10.00 AM to 4.00 PM). The applicant/accused has not committed any offence as alleged in the FIR and if the said record is not called, preserved and made part of the record, then it will be difficult for the applicant/accused to prove his innocence, further the ends justice would not be met,” it claimed.

    Additional Public Prosecutor Rajiv Kamboj, appearing for the police, opposed Sidhu’s plea saying the accused cannot guide the police to conduct investigation in a particular manner.

    “Police is duty bound to conduct fair and impartial investigation. However, accused cannot be allowed to divert the investigation of the police from its path. By moving the present application, accused is trying to guide the investigation being done by the police,” the public prosecutor claimed.

    The court had on February 23 sent Sidhu to judicial custody in the case.

    Police had earlier alleged he was one of the main instigators of the violent incidents at the Red Fort.

    Tens of thousands of protesting farmers clashed with the police in the national capital on January 26 during a tractor parade to highlight their demands.

    Many of them driving tractors reached the Red Fort and entered the monument, where a religious flag was also hoisted.

    Over 500 police personnel were injured and one protestor died.

    In the FIR registered in connection with the Red Fort violence, police alleged two magazines with 20 live cartridges were snatched from two constables by protestors who also damaged vehicles and robbed anti-riot gear.

  • Red Fort incident: Delhi court extends by 7 days police custody of Deep Sidhu

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Tuesday extended by seven days the police custody of actor-activist Deep Sidhu in connection with the Red Fort violence on Republic Day during the farmers’ tractor parade against the Centre’s three new agri laws.

    Sidhu was produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Bhujali after expiry of his police custody in the case.

    Police sought extension of his custodial interrogation, saying it was required for further investigation and to identify other accused persons in the case.

    The court had on February 9 sent Sidhu to police custody for seven days after the police alleged he was one of the main instigators of the violent incidents at the Red Fort.

    The police had said there are videos where Sidhu can be allegedly seen at the site of the incident.

    “He was instigating the crowd. He was also one of the main rioters. Several social media accounts need to be searched to identify the co-conspirators. Also his permanent address is given as Nagpur but several places need to be visited in Punjab and Haryana to unearth further details,” the police had alleged.

    “He can be seen coming out with the person who hoisted the flag and congratulating him. He came out and gave speeches in loud hailers and provoked the crowd there. He was the main instigator. He instigated the crowd due to which violence occurred. Several policemen were injured in the violence,” the police alleged.

    Sidhu’s counsel, however, claimed he had nothing to do with the violence and was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

    Sidhu has been arrested for several offences under the Indian Penal Code including rioting (147 and 148), unlawful assembly (149), attempt to murder (120-B), criminal conspiracy (120-B), assaulting or obstructing public servant (152), dacoity (395), culpable homicide (308) and disobedience to order promulgated by public servant (188).

    He has also been arrested under sections of the Arms Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act.

    The police had announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to Sidhu’s arrest.

    Tens of thousands of protesting farmers clashed with the police in the national capital on January 26 during a tractor parade to to highlight their demands.

    Many of them driving tractors reached the Red Fort and entered the monument, where a religious flag was also hoisted.

    Over 500 police personnel were injured and one protestor died.

    In the FIR registered in connection with the Red Fort violence, police alleged two magazines with 20 live cartridges were snatched from two constables by protestors who also damaged vehicles and robbed anti-riot gear.

  • Delhi Police takes Deep Sidhu to Red Fort to recreate vandalism scene on R-Day 

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police’s Crime Branch on Saturday took actor-activist Deep Sidhu and another accused Iqbal Singh to Red Fort to recreate and ascertain the scene of events that unfolded there on Republic Day during the farmer’s tractor parade, said police officials.

    Before Red Fort, the investigating team took Sidhu and Singh to the routes that they took to enter the national capital and reach the Red Fort, said an official. The team will inspect the site to ascertain and corroborate the route taken by them, what happened, how the activities and other things such as clashes and violence unfolded at the Red Fort on January 26 when the violence broke out and religious flags were unfurled by the protestors including the accused.  

    According to police, Sidhu was a prominent player behind the violence. He instigated youngsters with his provocative speeches even when he was hiding from the law. He was arrested on February 9 from Haryana’s Karnal bypass by a Special Cell team led by DCP Sanjeev Yadav. On Tuesday, he was sent to seven-day police custody by a city court.

    Sidhu and Singh were carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000 on them, respectively. Singh was arrested from Punjab’s Hoshiyarpur. Delhi Police has also announced a reward of Rs 6 lakh each on other absconding prime suspects —Jugraj Singh, Gurjot Singh, Gurjant Singh, Buta Singh—in the Red Fort violence case. 

    Violent clashes broke out at ITO and Red Fort on January 26 when thousands of farmers with tractors entered the city deviating from the scheduled route given to them by the Delhi Police. Over 500 police personnel and about 10 farmers were injured in the clashes while one protestor died.

    Three more arrested in Burari case

    Three men have been arrested in connection with the violence during the farmers’ tractor parade in north Delhi’s Burari area on Republic day, police said on Saturday. The accused – Sukhmeet Singh, Gundeep Singh and Harvinder Singh – were identified with the help of CCTV footage and technical investigation.

    Sukhmeet and Gundeep are residents of Hari Nagar in west Delhi while Harvinder is a resident of Libaspur area. The police have arrested 14 people so far in connection with the violence in Burari.

  • Red Fort violence: Court sends actor-activist Deep Sidhu to 7-day police custody

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A Delhi court Tuesday sent actor-activist Deep Sidhu to 7-day police custody in connection with the Red Fort violence on the Republic Day during farmers’ tractor parade against the Centre’s three new agri laws.

    Metropolitan Magistrate Prigya Gupta sent Sidhu to the custody after the police alleged he was one of the main instigators of the violent incidents at the Red Fort.

    Sidhu’s counsel, however, claimed he had nothing to do with the violence and was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

    The police had announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to Sidhu’s arrest.

    Tens of thousands of farmers broke barriers to storm the national capital on January 26, their tractor parade to highlight their demands dissolving into unprecedented scenes of anarchy as they fought with police, overturned vehicles and delivered a national insult hoisting a religious flag from the ramparts of the Red Fort, a privilege reserved for India’s tricolour.

    Thousands of protesting farmers who reached ITO from the Ghazipur border clashed with police.

    Many of them driving tractors reached the Red Fort and entered the monument, where the religious flag was also hoisted.

    Over 500 police personnel were injured and one protestors died.

      In the FIR registered in connection with the Red Fort violence, police said two magazines with 20 live cartridges were snatched from two constables by protestors who also damaged vehicles and robbed anti-riot gear.

  • Deep Sidhu held in connection with Republic Day violence case

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Delhi Police has on Tuesday arrested actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu for his alleged involvement in 26 January violence in the national capital.

    “Deep Sidhu, an accused in 26th January violence case arrested,” Delhi Police Special Cell said on Tuesday.

    The investigation into the Republic Day violence is being conducted at three levels – local police, Special Cell and Crime Branch. The names of Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu and gangster Lakka Sadana were included in the FIR registered in connection with the violence at Red Fort in Delhi on January 26, Delhi Police said earlier while adding that Sidhu was involved in the incident. “On January 26 some people hoisted the flag at Red Fort. Some of them have been identified out of which Deep Sidhu is the prime accused,” said Praveer Ranjan, Special Commissioner of Police (CP), Crime.

    On Republic Day, protestors did not follow the prearranged route and broke barricades to enter Delhi, clashed with police and vandalised property in several parts of the national capital during the farmers’ tractor rally. They also entered the Red Fort and unfurled their flags from its ramparts.

    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.

  • Red Fort violence: Cash reward announced for information on actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Police have announced cash reward of Rs 1 lakh for information that can lead to the arrest of actor Deep Sidhu and three others in connection with the Red Fort incident in Delhi on Republic Day, officials said on Wednesday.

    Cash reward of Rs 50,000 each was also announced for Buta Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Jajbir Singh and Iqbal Singh for allegedly instigating protesters, police said.

    The reward of Rs 1 lakh was announced on Sidhu, Jugraj Singh, Gurjot Singh and Gurjant Singh who hoisted flags at the Red Fort or involved in the act, according to police.

    They were identified through CCTV and video clips, police said.

    Thousands of protesting farmers had clashed with the police during the tractor parade called by farmer unions on January 26 to highlight their demand for repeal of the Centre’s three farm laws.

    Many of the protesters, driving tractors, reached the Red Fort and entered the monument.

    Some protesters even hoisted religious flags on its domes and a flagstaff at the ramparts, where the national flag is unfurled by the prime minister on Independence Day.