R-day violence:Court grants anticipatory bail to gangster-activist Lakha Sidhana

PTI, Sep 17, 2021, 7:09 PM IST

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday granted anticipatory bail to gangster-turned-social activist Lakha Sidhana in a case related to allegedly attempting to kill police personnel and instigating the mob to break barricades during the farmers’ protest rally on Republic Day this year.

Additional Sessions Judge Jagdish Kumar granted relief to Sidhana after noting that he has already joined the investigation and has been granted bail in a conspiracy case related to violence that ensued at the Red Fort here on January 26.

Sidhana sought anticipatory bail in the case related to the clashes which took place between the farmers and police at Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar.

The judge did not accept the submission of prosecution to deny him relief that even though he has joined the probe, one of the mobile phones handed over by him to the police is protected with a password and could not be opened as he refused to provide it.

During the hearing, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Madhukar Pandey submitted that Sidhana told the police that he has “forgotten” the password and is not co-operating in the investigation.

“If, that is the situation how court can presume that he has forgotten the password or deliberately not disclosing the code for unlocking the mobile phone,” the judge said.

The court further noted that Sidhana has admitted that he was part of the mob.

The accused has been released on anticipatory bail on the condition that he has to join the probe as and when required and not influence the witnesses in any manner.

The SPP opposed the bail plea and apprised the court that Sidhana was part of the unlawful assembly, attempted to “kill some police officials and instigated the mob to break the barricades.

The prosecutor added that the gangster even hugged some people to celebrate after breaking the barricades.

He said that Sidhana is currently involved in 20 heinous cases including those related to murder and attempt to murder.

Senior advocate Ramesh Gupta, along with advocates Jaspreet Singh and Jasdeep Singh Dhillon, who represented Sidhana, told the court that their client is not even named in the FIR and police does not have an iota of evidence against him.

Sidhana moved the court saying he had grave apprehension that he may be arrested as his first cousin Gurdeep Singh was abducted and tortured by the Delhi Police and was made to forcibly sign certain blank papers, the counsel said.