New Delhi: Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested Punjabi actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu. He was a wanted in the January 26 Red Fort violence case. Deep Sidhu was absconding ever since as the police searched for him in various places in Punjab and Haryana. They even announced a reward of Rs 1,00,000 lakh on him. “We have arrested the wanted-accused Deep Sidhu,” said Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, DCP Special Cell.
The Delhi Police had announced the cash reward of Rs 1,00,000 each for information on Deep Sidhu, Jugraj Singh, Gurjot Singh and Gurjant Singh. They had also announced an award of Rs 50,000 each on Jajbir Singh, Buta Singh, Sukhdev Singh and Iqbal Singh for their alleged involvement in the Republic Day violence. The violence led to the death of one person. Several persons, including policemen were also seriously injured.
Police would now probe where Sidhu got shelter since January 26 and who all provided it. Those who provided shelter to him could also face legal action.
Another co-accused Sukhdev Singh was earlier arrested from Chandigarh.
Sidhu uploaded a video January 31 on his verified Facebook account. In the 15 minute-long video message, titled ‘straight from my soul’, he is seen giving an emotional statement in Punjabi. Translated into English it says, “I am being defamed… I had left my whole life behind, and come here to join the Punjabis in their protest. But now I am being labelled a traitor.
“All I did was raise a voice for your rights. For so many months, I have been meeting everyone on roads, in tents. Now a single man is being made a traitor.”
The video was addressed to the hundreds of farmers, who have been sitting in protests at Delhi’s borders since November 26 against the three contentious farm laws. Within two hours of uploading, it was nviewed 19,000 times and received 11,000 comments.