Farmers remove police barricades set up near the Red Fort during the 'Kisan Gantantra Parade' amid the 72nd Republic Day celebrations, in New Delhi. (PTI) The Delhi Police Wednesday arrested a man in connection with the tractor march and violence at Red Fort on Republic Day. Police said the accused, Dharmendra Singh Harman, was allegedly seen in video footage from near Red Fort. A senior police officer said, “Harman was arrested on the basis of videos that surfaced after the violence. He was part of the group that clashed with the police at Red Fort and was also seen in the footage, in which he was seen instigating the crowd.”
Police said the footage showed Harman atop a vehicle and allegedly instigating the crowd near Red Fort. The Crime Branch said they are also ascertaining his role in hoisting the religious flag at Red Fort.
On the day of the tractor march, thousands of protesters drove their tractors and clashed with police at Nangloi, ITO and Red Fort before breaking into the national monument and hoisting their religious flag on the pole.
Police said they are also looking for Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu and two of his associates in connection with the violence and for instigating the crowd. Police announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh each for information about the men. Till date, over 124 persons have been arrested in connection with the farmer-police clashes and more than 44 FIRs registered.
Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court Thursday declined to entertain a petition seeking investigation into the incidents which took place during the farmers’ tractor rally on Republic Day and arrest of those who allegedly disrespected the national flag at Red Fort. The Delhi Police told the court that the probe in the FIRs registered by it was being undertaken on a priority basis.
The division bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh pulled up the petitioners and observed, “You expect within two days everything should be over? Offence can be committed within a fraction of seconds but investigation takes time. What time has been given by CrPC?”
The court also took note of the fact that the petitioners, who filed the petition on January 29, approached the court within a few days of the incident having taken place. “The incident took place on January 26 and you started typing the writ petition? You are coming in a day or two … the government should have a magic wand?…what type of petitions are you filing? It is the wastage of time and nothing else,” observed the court.
Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta during the hearing told the court that substantial steps have been taken by the police and a total of 43 FIRs have been registered, out of which 13 have been transferred to the Special Cell.