Farmers Movement Archive

Delhi cops probe if foreign funds were used in Republic Day violence

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police’s investigation into the Republic Day violence is now focusing on foreign funding angle, sources have told TOI. Arrested Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu is being interrogated by a special team in this connection. DCP (Special Cell) Sanjeev Yadav, whose team has arrested Sidhu after chasing him through three states for 13 days, said they were probing all aspects, including the funding source, leading to the Red Fort violence. An analysis of Sidhu’s call details and mobile location has confirmed his role, claimed a source. It reportedly shows that on January 26, he was moving towards Red Fort from the Rajghat side around 3pm. Thereafter, he moved towards Singhu border and, around 4.20pm, his location was traced near Kundli in Sonipat. Around 10pm, he was near Kurukshetra. “On January 26, he telecast the live streaming of the Republic day incident on his Facebook profile. In a video, he can be heard claiming that they would use weapons and violence to force into the Red Fort in case police don’t let them enter through the main entrance,” a senior official said. On January 27, he was at Patiala in Punjab around 5pm; he then switched off his phone. Police got the first clue about his whereabouts when an online account linked with his phone number was recharged. Further clues, as TOI reported on Wednesday, came from the analysis of Sidhu’s communications with San Francisco-based actress Reena Rai who had allegedly uploaded the videos sent by the actor on his Facebook page, the cops said. Sidhu, who started as a model, had also completed his LLB from Panjab University and started practising as a lawyer. He told the cops that his first placement was with Sahara India Pariwar as a legal adviser. He claimed that he had also worked with a British law firm managing many Hollywood studios, before joining an Indian production house. Sidhu, sources said, was evasive during the initial round of questioning, but was interrogated later jointly by sleuths of intelligence agencies, crime branch and special cell. He was reportedly using three email IDs to communicate with his associates.

The Times of India

2021-02-11

Delhi