Deep Sidhu bail hearing: Posting video on Republic Day violence a mistake, actor tells Delhi court; matter adjourned for April 12

Delhi Court Hearing on Deep Sidhu Bail Petition: Accused of inciting violence during tractor march on Republic Day, Deep Sidhu today told the court that he did not give any call to agitating farmers to go to Red Fort on January 26. He said the call for protest was given by farmer leaders, and that he was not a member of farmer union and “no call was given by me to (protestors) to go to Red Fort”. “There’s no evidence that I have mobilised crowd,” Deep Sidhu’s lawyer said during hearing of the bail application filed by the accused actor at a Delhi court. Deep also submitted that he had not indulged in a single act of violence. “I left even before violence erupted,” he told the court.

Deep, however, admitted that he made a mistake of posting a video but that mistake was not a crime. “I just posted a video, that was my mistake. Every mistake is not a crime. Media named me as the main accused just because I posted a video. I was levelled by the media as the chief conspirator, I don’t know why?” Sidhu said through his lawyer during his bail hearing.

The court has adjourned the matter for Monday (April 12) and has asked for transcripts of Sidhu’s speeches.

In February, Sidhu was arrested by Special Cell of the Delhi Police in connection with the Red Fort violence on Republic Day. He was wanted in connection with the case of instigating the crowd at the Red Fort. Protesting for months, the farmers had announced that they would take out a tractor march on January 26. They were given a mutually-agreed routes to take out their march but they deviated from the routes and stormed the Red Fort, which was not part of the original schedule.

Thousands of protestors clashed with security forces, broke barricades near ITO, vandalised several vehicles, and pelted stones at police personnel. The agitating farmers broke past the barricades at ITO, and reached Red Fort where they hoisted a different flag. Deep Sidhu was seen among the crowd cheering this act at Red Fort. The violence had left over 500 security personnel injured and one protestor dead. But as soon as he was recognised in videos circulating in social media, Deep went underground. The police then announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to Sidhu’s arrest.

In the FIR registered in connection with the violence, the police said two magazines with 20 live cartridges were snatched from two constables by protestors who also robbed anti-riot gear and damaged vehicles. The police said that the protestors hoisted different flags and also created nuisance on the rampart of Red Fort. “The unruly mob was asked to come downstairs. They went to Meena Bazar area to enter the into Red Fort. When the police tried to take them out of Lahore Gate, the mob became violent and attacked personnel. The mob thrashed the police personnel and threw them in the wells,” the police had said in the FIR.