Actor Deep Sidhu, gangster-turned activist Lakha Sidhana booked for Red Fort violence

New Delhi: The Delhi Police has booked an FIR against Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu and gangster-turned-social activist Lakha Sidhana in connection with the violence and chaos at the historic Red Fort on Republic day.

"The case has been registered against them at the Kotwali police station of North district under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and other legislations," the Delhi Police said.

Provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act and the Arms Act have been added in the FIR, the police said.

The police have invoked IPC sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 152 (assaulting or obstructing public servant when suppressing riot, etc), 397 (robbery, or dacoity, with an attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), and 307 (attempt to murder), they said.

He was last seen in the January 26 chaos, among the crowd that deviated to Delhi's iconic Red Fort and planted a Nishan Sahib flag on an empty rampart.

Amid a massive outrage over protesters swarming the Red Fort and hoisting a religious flag during the farmers' tractor rally on Republic Day, Deep Sidhu had reportedly admitted that he was present during the incident.

Reacting to allegations that he tainted the rally and instigated the farmers to march towards the Red Fort, the actor sought to defend his action, saying he did not remove the national flag. He said that he had put up the 'Nishan Sahib' as a symbolic protest at the Red Fort and that the flag, a symbol of Sikh religion, is seen at all Gurdwara complexes.

Sidhu in a video posted on Facebook on Tuesday evening, claimed it was not a planned move and that they should not be given any communal colour or dubbed as fundamentalists or hardliners. "To symbolically register our protest against the new farm legislation, we put up 'Nishan Sahib' and a farmer flag and also raised the slogan of Kisan Mazdoor Ekta," he said.

(with minor edits from NDTV)