A metropolitan magistrate court in Delhi yesterday (26th April) granted actor-activist Deep Sidhu bail and termed as “highly questionable” his arrest in a case linked to the January 26 Red Fort violence after he was granted bail in a similar case. It added that “vicious and sinister action” by the police amounted to playing fraud with the established criminal process. Granting Sidhu bail, the court noted that before Deep Sidhu could be released from prison following bail in a similar case, the police arrested him in a different case, which was also related to the Red Fort violence.
“The sweeping power of investigation does not warrant subjecting a citizen each time to fresh investigation by the police in respect of the same incident, giving rise to one or more cognisable offences, consequent upon filing of successive FIRs, whether before or after filing the final report,” said the report of metropolitan magistrate Sahil Gupta. The court added, “The need and timing of the arrest is highly questionable because despite knowing that the accused has been lodged in judicial custody since February 9, 2021, he was arrested only on April, 17, 2021, when he was granted regular bail in FIR number 96/2021 (on April 16)… amounts to playing fraud with established criminal process and shows scant regard to constitutional protections.”
Sidhu was arrested on February 9 this year in connection with the January 26 incident of violence at Red Fort. The police were granted his custody for 14 days following which he was sent to judicial remand on February 23. A sessions court granted him bail in the case on April 16, but he was again arrested on April 17 in connection with another FIR in the same incident.