Republic Day mob wanted to make Red Fort as new protest site against farm laws: Delhi Police

red fort violence — Image Source : PTI (FILE)
Republic Day mob wanted to make Red Fort as new protest site against farm laws: Delhi Police

The violent mob at Red Fort on January 26 wanted to capture the monument to make it the new protest site for agitation against the Centre's new farm laws, the Delhi Police said in its chargesheet. In the 3,232-page chargesheet, police cited data of purchase of tractors in Haryana and Punjab in December 2020 and compared it to the corresponding period last year.

Nearly four months after the violence at Red Fort on the Republic Day, Delhi Police has filed a chargesheet against actor-activist Deep Sidhu and 15 others in connection with the case.

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 Delhi Police Crime Branch, which is tasked with investigating the case, filed the report before Metropolitan Magistrate Sahil Monga on May 17 and sought prosecution of 16 accused, including Sidhu.

According to the police, 13 out of 16 accused, including Sidhu, Iqbal Singh and Mohinder Singh Khalsa, are out on bail while other three namely Maninder Singh, Khempreet Singh and Jabarjang Singh are still in judicial custody. 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.

The Delhi Police had told the court that it has electronic evidence to show that Sidhu entered the Red Fort with supporters carrying lathis and flags and provoked the violence.

Sidhu is facing charges of rioting, attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy, dacoity, culpable homicide among various other sections of the Indian Penal Code. He was in jail for over two months and released on bail on April 17. Besides Sidhu, police have also mentioned the name of Iqbal Singh, who was doing a Facebook Live session in which he allegedly instigated the protesters.