JOIN USRepublic Day violence: Farmer leaders from Jammu taken into custody by Delhi Police
A prominent farmer leader and a youth, hailing from Jammu and Kashmir have been accused of being "active participants and key conspirators" in the violence at the Red Fort during the farmers’ tractor parade on January 26, have been arrested.
Jammu and Kashmir United Kisan Front Chairman Mohinder Singh (45) and Mandeep Singh (23) were apprehended by Delhi Police's Crime Branch from Jammu on Monday and were brought to the national capital.
The accused persons are "active participants and key conspirators in the riot case of Red Fort", police claimed in a statement on Tuesday.
Mohinder Singh's family, however, claimed that he was innocent and demanded his immediate release.
“He (Mohinder Singh) informed me that he was called by the Senior Superintendent of Police (Jammu) and was visiting Gandhi Nagar Police Station before his mobile got switched off. Upon enquiring, I came to know that he was arrested by police and shifted to Delhi,” the former leader's wife was quoted by PTI as saying.
She claimed that her husband was at the Delhi border and not Red Fort when the violence broke out. “He went alone to see the SSP because he was not afraid as he had done nothing wrong,” she said.
Separately, a Delhi court sent actor-activist Deep Sidhu to judicial custody for 14 days in connection with the Red Fort violence case. Sidhu, who was arrested on February 9, was produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Samarjeet Kaur on the expiry of his police custody in the case.
Police had alleged that he was one of the main instigators of the violent violence at the Red Fort.
Last week, a 30-year-old Maninder Singh, who was seen allegedly swinging swords to "motivate and energise" protesters at Red Fort during the violence on Republic Day following farmers' tractor rally was arrested.
Jaspreet Singh, who was one of the associates of Maninder Singh, was also arrested.