Red Fort violence: Suspect arrested from Amritsar; 17 held so far

Deputy commissioner of police (special cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said that Gurjot Singh, who was wanted in the case and carried a reward of ₹1 lakh, was arrested from Amritsar in Punjab on Sunday. Singh is the 17 th person who has been arrested in the case, so far

One more suspect has been arrested in connection with the case of alleged violence and vandalism at the Red Fort on Republic Day during a tractor rally taken out by farmers against the three farm laws enacted by the Centre in September last year, police said on Monday.

Gurjot Singh. (Photo: Delhi Police)

Deputy commissioner of police (special cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said that Gurjot Singh, who was wanted in the case and carried a reward of ₹1 lakh, was arrested from Amritsar in Punjab on Sunday. Singh is the 17 th person who has been arrested in the case, so far. At least six key suspects against whom rewards were announced are still absconding.

A special cell officer, who did not want to be named, said that Singh, a resident of Tarn Taran in Punjab, was present at the Red Fort when the violence broke out. The police were looking for him his alleged involvement in the “conspiracy” and in “instigating” the crowd through “provocative speeches” that he delivered from the monument itself, the officer said.

“We had got Singh’s video in which he was talking to the media at the Red Fort during the violence. Our teams have been camping in Punjab to nab the absconding suspects. Singh was among them. We got information about his presence in Amritsar and caught him on Sunday. He has been brought to Delhi and is being handed over to the crime branch that is probing the case,” the officer added.

The crime branch submitted its first charge sheet last month and named 16 people, including Punjabi actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu, in it. All 16 were arrested in connection with the case filed by the police. While Sidhu and 12 others have been released on bail, three accused, 23-year-old Dutch national of Indian origin, Maninderjit Singh, Khempreet Singh and Jabrajang Singh, are still in judicial custody.

Hundreds of farmers protesting on Delhi’s borders against the three farm laws passed by Parliament in September entered Delhi deviating from the routes approved for their tractor rally and clashed with the police at several locations on January 26 this year. One farmer died and 10 others were injured. More than 500 police personnel also suffered injuries in the violence.