Delhi Police issues lookout notice against farmer leaders, actor Deep Sidhu; top 10 highlights

Delhi Police’s investigation into the violence in the time of a tractor rally by farmers on 26th January is now aimed at finding those involved in putting up a Sikh religious flag at the Red Fort.

Tuesday's tractor rally went haywire as protesters forced their way into the fort complex and placed a religious flag. Several teams of Delhi Police's special cell are looking into the footage of violence in order to identify those who hoisted the flag.

Actor Deep Sidhu, whom farmers have accused of being responsible for the violence during the Republic Day, has been named in a case lodged by the Delhi Police, sources told NDTV. Some farmer leaders have also been named in the 25-plus cases filed by the police since Tuesday. The cases will be investigated by a special investigating team.

Furthermore, The police has put out a look-out notices against farmer leaders and others named in FIRs. Their passports will also be confiscated to stop them from travelling abroad.

Top 10 updates on farmers' protest violence:

1) Home Minister Amit Shah visited two hospitals - Shushrut Trauma Centre and Teerath Ram Hospital - to enquire about the condition of policemen hurt in the violence.

2) Delhi Police special cell is on the lookout for Deep Sidhu and another person named Lakha Sidhana. The police said Mr Sidhu will be summoned for questioning soon.

3) "If I'm being labeled a gaddar (traitor), then all farmer leaders are gaddars. If you claim lakhs of people were instigated by me, what kind of leaders are you? Will an RSS-BJP person put the Nishan Sahib flag on Red Fort? You are calling lakhs of farmers gaddars," Deep Sidhu said in a video on Facebook. He also accused the farm union leaders of "back-tracking".

4) It has now come to view that earlier this month, the police had filed a case against the banned organisation, Sikhs for Justice, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other relevant sections of the IPC, including sedition. During farmers' protest, the organisation had given a call for hoisting flag at Red Fort. Sikhs for Justice had also announced a reward for the person who would hoist flag at Red Fort, the police said.

5) The Delhi Police has also put out a notice to farmer leader Darshan Pal, asking why legal action should not be pressed against him. The notice was sent for alleged violation of the agreement with the police regarding the route and time of the rally.

6) The Centre on Wednesday condemned the violence in Delhi. "Action should be taken against all of those who instigated others. India won't tolerate the manner in which the Tricolour was insulted at the Red Fort," said Union minister Prakash Javadekar. Accusing the Congress of instigating the farmers, he said, "The Congress wants to create a situation of unrest in the country."

7) One farmer lost his life on the way to Red Fort on Tuesday, with Delhi Police saying it was an accident. His post-mortem report shows he was not shot, as claimed by his family, the Uttar Pradesh Police said Wednesday. "He succumbed to the injuries he received after his tractor turned turtle," Avinash Chandra, a senior police officer of Bareilly region was quoted as saying by ANI. CCTV footage of his tractor overturning was extensively shared.

8) Opposition parties have called for an investigation into the centre's role in the violence, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said. Opposition parties, which tried to block the farm bills in parliament, had requested President Ram Nath Kovind not to sign the bills. The bills, they had said, were passed in an undemocratic manner in Rajya Sabha.

9) Nineteen people have been taken into custody in connection with the violence in which 394 policemen were injured, the Delhi Police said. Fifty people have been detained and are being questioned. Action has been taken against 300-odd Twitter accounts. The Delhi Police said they acted immediately on "intelligence inputs".

10) Farmers fear the new laws will deny them of guaranteed minimum earnings and leave them open to exploitation by big business. So far, eleven rounds of talks have been held between the farmers and the government but there has been no breakthrough.

Also Read: 20 days before R'Day, top agencies discussed SFJ's plan for Delhi, including hoisting flag at Red Fort