Delhi Police access videos of suspects inciting crowds to break into Red Fort

New Delhi: In the ongoing investigation into the takeover of Red Fort on Republic Day and the subsequent hoisting of the Nishan Sahib there, the Delhi Police have now accessed video footage of the incident, showing at least two or more suspects specifically inciting protesters to break into the heritage site, Millennium Post has now

learnt.

Significantly, among other details uncovered by the police, investigators have claimed to have found that many of the protesters might have been intoxicated on the day of the violence and different groups of protesters had most likely launched themselves into a race to see who got to the Red Fort first.

An officer privy to the investigation said that there might have been a competition between them to reach Red Fort first and there is also a possibility that the anti-social elements who were at the parade created such a situation.

"There are several angles which are being probed and we will check all possibilities. We have also got support from the public who are regularly sending videos," the investigator

added.

And as the Delhi Police tries to sift through countless repeat videos received from members of the public, they have found certain videos, showing protesters instigating the crowd to break into the Red Fort complex. The suspects in the videos were found telling protesters to break the main entrance gate of the heritage site. "Raids are going on to nab these people," an official said, adding that the videos also showed many trying to convince the crowd as to why hoisting the Nishan Sahib was important.

Meanwhile, even as actor Deep Sidhu — an accused in the Red Fort case — keeps posting public videos from his social media accounts, the Delhi Police, having yet to trace him, have announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh for any information leading to his arrest or the arrest of three other accused — Jugraj Singh, Gurtoj Singh and Gurjant Singh.

"Rs 50,000 reward each will be given for information leading to the arrest of four other suspects identified as Jajbir Singh, Buta Singh, Sukhdev Singh, and Iqbal Singh," police said.

On January 30, Millennium Post first reported that Delhi Police's investigation into the unfurling of a Sikh religious flag on the ramparts of Red Fort is showing signs that the farmer leaders' position that many farmers were against the action could have been true.

According to police sources, the city police have enough information to suspect that there were two different groups of farmers and protesters at Red Fort who had got into an argument over the flag hoisting incident.

Police said after proper investigation, rewards were declared on them. "We have gathered evidence which shows they were at Red Fort on January 26," an official said, adding that they are evading probe intentionally. They are being searched for violence and hoisting of a religious flag on January 26 at Red Fort. One investigator had earlier said "We have 250 videos (till Monday) of the Red Fort incident. All these videos are being checked and photographs are being prepared through these videos." Sources further said that they have also identified criminal elements who were not part of the agitation but were found involved in the violence.

"So far we have found out that from Singhu the barricades were first broken in the next few minutes Tikri and then other borders. Through social media platforms, these protesters came to know about the parade starting before time and all of them followed," sources said.

Moreover, the Crime Branch has now made another arrest in the Red Fort case. And despite around 133 notices issued to farm leaders, activists and protesters, on Tuesday, no prominent farmer leader joined the investigation. "Some people are being questioned rigorously but they are not the farmer leaders," a source close to the investigation said.

Investigators are also probing the activities of the three days before Republic Day, suspecting that antisocial elements might have used the parade as an opportunity.