Farmers Movement Archive

Red Fort violence: Court to pronounce order on Delhi Police charge-sheet today

A Delhi court on Friday is likely to pronounce its order on the issue of cognisance on charge sheet filed in connection with the January 26 violence in the national capital, when thousands of farmers stormed into the Red Fort while protesting against the Centre’s three farm laws.In the charge sheet, the crime branch of the Delhi Police named 16 suspects as accused of the violence including Punjabi actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu. The police termed the alleged storming of the fort by the protesters a “well-planned conspiracy.” According to the charge sheet, the accused came well equipped to “cause mayhem” and use the Red Fort premises as their new protest site.The police also attached hundreds of clips gathered from various photographers, CCTV cameras and those posted on social and media as evidence to show how protesters indulged in violence while carrying "weapons" like swords, rods, pharsi (saintie), wooden legs of a cots and spears.The charge sheet running into 3224 pages was submitted before a duty metropolitan magistrate in Tis Hazari court on Thursday.On January 26, farmers protesting against the three agriculture laws carried out a rally at demanding Centre to repeal the new reforms. However, the protests turned violent as some of the protesters carrying swords barged into the Mughal-era fort tried to hoist a religiously significant flag, Nishan Sahib, at the ramparts of the monument.Following the violence, two separate cases were registered by the Delhi Police. While one case involving serious charges such as rioting, attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy was registered on the police’s complaint, the second case was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which is the custodian of the Mughal-era fort. Sidhu was arrested in both cases and is currently out on bail.

Hindustan Times

28-05-2021

India