R-Day violence well-planned, may have got foreign funds: Police

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Wednesday sent Iqbal Singh, arrested in connection with the Republic Day farmers’ tractor parade violence, to seven days police custody, after police contended that he is the main conspirator, the event was well-planned and there may be foreign funding too.

The Delhi Police’s Special Cell on Wednesday arrested Iqbal Singh from Punjab’s Hoshiarpur. He was allegedly the part of tractor rally that breached course and created ruckus in the city. His videos went viral where he was purportedly heard threatening cops and inciting protesters to go on a rampage.

Iqbal Singh was produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Poorva Mehra of Tis Hazari court, who then sent him to police custody. The police told the court, “Iqbal is one of the main conspirators. The events were not a random occurrence. It was well-planned.”

The police emphasized that the event was a big conspiracy and that his link to Deep Sidhu, who was arrested in the case on Tuesday, need to be unearthed. “We have intelligence that there may be foreign funding too. Need to investigate that angle. We need to establish where his funding is coming from.”

“We need to establish all his links — who his supporters are, where the money is coming from and how he ran the channel. He is amongst the main instigators of this big conspiracy. It was a well-planned event, for which we already have another accused’s custody,” the police contended.

During the course of proceedings, Iqbal Singh told the court that he did not come to the spot to cause violence. “I reached the Red Fort just like that, did not think I would reach there. But when I reached, emotions around flared up. Whatever I did or said was in the heat of the moment.”

On January 26, protesting farmers had clashed with the police during the tractor rally against three farm laws. During the clash, a section of protesters had entered the Red Fort and hoisted a religious flag. So far, the police have arrested almost 130 people.

On Tuesday, the Court had remanded Punjabi actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu, accused in the Republic Day violence case, to seven days police custody. The Delhi Police told the court that Sidhu is the ‘main instigator’ of the violence.

Following the rampage, the Delhi Police had announced cash reward of Rs 1 lakh each on Deep Sidhu, Jugraj Singh, Gurjot Singh and Gurjant Singh; and Rs 50,000 each on Jajbir Singh, Buta Singh, Sukhdev Singh and Iqbal Singh for their alleged involvement in the violence that saw at least one person die and several injured, including policemen.

IANS

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