After Deep Sidhu's arrest, Delhi Police launches hunt for his three close friends over Red Fort violence

New Delhi: The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has launched a massive hunt for actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu’s three close friends for their alleged involvement in the Red Fort violence during the farmers’ tractor rally on the January 26.

According to sources, the Crime Branch is now searching for the actor’s three friends who went to the Red Fort along with him on the Republic Day.  Sidhu was arrested for his alleged role in the violence that took place at the Red Fort and other parts of the national capital during the farmers' tractor parade.

The actor-activist was sent to seven-day police custody on Tuesday by a court here following his arrest a day earlier from Karnal bypass in connection with the violence at the Red Fort.

Following his arrest, he was handed over to the Crime Branch, which is probing the case in connection with the violence and vandalism at the historic fort. On the first day of police remand, the focus of investigation remained on how Sidhu reached the Red Fort and his activities there on the day of the incident, a senior police officer said.

According to the sources, Sidhu had told the Crime Branch officials that he stayed somewhere near Singhu Border on January 25. Deep Sidhu has told police that he had no "bad intentions" and went to the historic monument as everybody was going there.

The Punjabi actor then went to the Singhu border on January 26 and reached Red Fort at around 11 AM. Delhi Police had told Metropolitan Magistrate Prigya Gupta that Deep Sidhu was the main instigator. He allegedly instigated the mob not to follow the permitted route of the Kisan parade and to breach barricades with tractors on January 26.

Delhi Police told the metropolitan court that there is video evidence to show that Deep Sidhu entered Red Fort with supporters carrying lathis and flags. Delhi Police also told the court that he was at the rampart of the fort where the religious flag (Nishan Sahib) was raised by the protesters. 

Meanwhile, another accused in the January 26 Delhi violence case, Iqbal Singh, was arrested by Special Cell from Hoshiarpur in Punjab on Tuesday night. The violence took place when tens of thousands of farmers broke barriers to storm the national capital on January 26 during their tractor parade to highlight their demand for repealing the new agri laws.

However, their parade dissolved 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 the 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 protestor died during the violence.

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