Image Courtesy:hindustantimes.com
Delhi Police crime branch has named 16 suspects in the charge sheet filed on the Republic Day violence allegedly by a section of anti farm law protesters. According to media reports the Delhi Police has charged that the violence was “a deep-rooted, well-orchestrated conspiracy.” It stated that the accused used the “very auspicious occasion” to hoist the Nishan Sahib and Kisan Flag at Red Fort “in order to cause embarrassment and humiliation at the national and international level to the people of this country” reported Indian Express.
The charge sheet was filed on May 17 in a Delhi court reported Hindustan Times and the police stated that the accused came well equipped to “cause mayhem” and then use the Red Fort premises as their ‘new protest site.’ It has also been alleged that the group of protesters who are accused in this case had a “preconceived and well-coordinated” plan to break the agreement between police and farmer leaders about the three routes for the tractor rally on Republic Day.
As reported by SabrangIndia on January 26, there was unprecedented chaos in the city and an emergency meeting was called by Union Home Minister Amit Shah who then directed additional security forces to remain on alert in Delhi. Earlier that day a group of protestors reached the ramparts of the Red Fort, and others entered the city from various points. This was a shocking turn of events as lakhs of farmers have been protesting peacefully on the borders of Delhi, and not one single incidence of violence or chaos was reported till then. The Farmers had planned their Republic Day tractor march after consultations with and permission from Delhi Police. However, as some breached the barriers, chaos ensued.
Months later, the Delhi Police charge sheet has alleged that protesters had a “pre-conceived and well-coordinated” plan to break the agreement between police and farmer leaders about the three routes for the tractor rally on Republic Day.
According to news report the police stated that the protesters wanted “to conquer/get hold of (Red Fort)” and then “make it a new protest site for farmers” adding that the “episode of violence is the outcome of a deep-rooted well-orchestrated conspiracy as the arrested persons along with other known and unknown persons, leaders and instigators (who have not yet been arrested), had deliberately, intentionally, and knowingly chosen the very auspicious occasion of the country viz Republic Day 2021, to hoist Nishan Sahib and Kisan Flag, in order to cause embarrassment and humiliation at the national and international level to the people of this country.”
The charge sheet as quoted by IE reads: “The very purpose of this conspiracy was hatched/orchestrated in two parts, i.e., firstly visit Red Fort to conquer/get hold of it and secondly to make it a new protest site for farmers protesting against the newly enacted Bill/Act,” it added. According the news report the police FIR estimated that “1,000 people, on 30-40 tractors and around 150 motorcycles and cars,” forcibly entered the Red Fort premises, “where they chased and assaulted policemen, looted their anti-riot gear, held some hostage inside a public toilet and vandalised the ticket counter.”
The 3,224 page charge sheet was submitted before a duty metropolitan magistrate in Tis Hazari court, reported HT adding that Punjabi actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu has been named in the charge sheet along with 15 others. All of them were arrested in connection with the case filed by the police, since then Sidhu and 12 others have been released on bail. According to HT, the other three accused, identified as Maninderjit Singh, a Dutch national of Indian origin, Khempreet Singh and Jabrajang Singh, are still in judicial custody.
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