Red Fort violence: Delhi court grants bail to actor Deep Sidhu

Punjabi actor and farmer activist Deep Sidhu was granted bail by a Delhi court on Friday (April 17) in the Red Fort violence case of January 26, when a group of unruly farmers stormed the historic structure and resorted to arson during a tractor rally.

The Delhi police had arrested Sidhu from Karnal in February on the charge of orchestrating the violence during the protest, which has been raging mostly in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi since November against three farm laws.

Also read: Reporter’s diary: ‘A day at the Red Fort I would like to forget soon’

On April 13, a Delhi court heard both the sides and reserved its order on Sidhu’s bail plea.

The actor’s counsel argued that his (Deep Sidhu’s) presence did not make him part of an unlawful assembly. In response, the public prosecutor said that Sidhu was the main instigator of the unlawful assembly and had the intention to create violence.

The public prosecutor said that Sidhu should not be allowed bail because he may try to tamper with the evidence.

The violence on Republic Day took place during a tractor parade organised by the farmers’ unions in Delhi. There were allegations that the route agreed upon by the protesters and the police was not followed. A group had reached Red Fort resulting in a major showdown. Some miscreants even clashed with the police. Meanwhile, several protesters reached the Red Fort and entered the monument. Some of them hoisted religious flags on a flagstaff where the national flag is unfurled by the prime minister on Independence Day.