Republic Day violence: Delhi Court remands Deep Sidhu to judicial custody

After completing 14 days in police custody, Punjabi actor-singer Deep Sidhu has been remanded to judicial custody for another 14 days, PTI reported. Metropolitan Magistrate Samarjeet Kaur pronounced the order on Tuesday evening. Sidhu, who is one of the key accused in the rioting that took place on Republic Day during the farmers' tractor rally, was arrested by the Delhi Police on February 9. Content with his statement and the interrogation, the Delhi Police told the court that it did not require Sidhu's custody anymore during the hearing on Tuesday. 

During the hearing, lawyers raised concerns over Deep Sidhu's security in jail. However, the metropolitan magistrate maintained that the application seeking security and a separate jail cell will have to be head by the jurisdictional magistrate at the Tiz Hazari Court. 

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After his arrest on February 9 from the Zirakpur area, the Delhi Police's Crime Branch had taken Deep Sidhu and another accused Iqbal Singh to the Red Fort to re-enact the crime scene that was witnessed on January 26 where farmers allegedly breached the Red Fort ramparts. On February 11, the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the Crime Branch team had reached Sidhu's cell to probe him with technical evidence. Sidhu has categorically denied his involvement in 'instigating the crowd' on Republic Day claiming that while he had gone towards the historical monument with everybody with no 'bad intentions.' 

READ | Deep Sidhu Taken To Red Fort To Re-enact Scene; 3 More Accused Arrested In R-day Violence

152 people arrested 

Meanwhile, cracking down on the perpetrators of violence on January 26 in Delhi, CP SN Srivastava on Friday said that 152 people have been arrested till date, in connection to the case. Ruling out an intelligence failure, he said that farm union leaders who were named in their cases have responded to their summons. Lauding Delhi police's restraint, he said that while police showed restraint, farmers 'betrayed' them by not following the designated route and resorting to violence. 

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Despite Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM)'s assurance and Delhi Police's conditions for the Republic Day tractor march, violence broke out on January 26, as the farmers entered Delhi - breaking barricades and cemented barriers, riding bikes brandishing swords, sticks and vandalising a bus, drove tractors at full speed towards the police - leading to clashes with Delhi police. As teargas shells, lathicharge was used, police claimed that over 500 personnel were injured and one protestor died after a tractor upturned. The SKM had accused Deep Sidhu of instigating the crowd and breaching the Red Fort on Republic Day. 

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