New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu, who was a part of the year-long farmers' protest and was named as one of the accused in Red Fort violence, on Tuesday passed after his ill-fated car collided with a truck at the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Highway. According to the police, Sidhu was rushed to a nearby hospital but died during the treatment. The woman, who was accompanying Sidhu in his white SUV, is presently undergoing treatment and is out of danger now.

As per the Superintendent of Police (SP) Sonipat, Rahul Sharma, "We got information that two people have been brought to the hospital after a road accident. The man identified as Deep Sidhu died during treatment and the woman is undergoing treatment and is now out of danger."

"As per investigation done till now, he (Deep Sidhu) was driving and the woman was on the passenger seat," Sharma said. He further said at the moment, the identity of the woman cannot be revealed as permissions are required. "In due course, we will disclose it," he said. Sharma said that as per the investigation conducted so far, they were travelling towards Bathinda.

"The driver of the truck is not in our custody yet. Our teams are on the job to nab him so that the full story can be known. Presently, a crime team is at the accident site and they are investigating. Right now it would not be possible for me to say that if the truck was moving or stationed. But, the incident took in the middle of the road," he added.

Here are the top developments of the case:

"It's a case of rash and negligent driving and FIR has been registered. The driver of the truck has been identified and our teams are trying to nab him. We retrieved a partially consumed liquor bottle from Deep Sidhu's car. Viscera sample collected. Further action will be taken after the analysis of the FSL report", Sonipat SP Rahul Sharma said. 

On Deep Sidhu's brother Surjeet's complaint, Sonipat Police registered FIR against a truck driver, who, the complaint alleges, applied brakes suddenly, resulting in the accident at KMP last night. FIR filed under sections 279 (rash driving) and 304A (causing death by negligence) of IPC.

The 37-year-old actor was said to be travelling from Delhi to Punjab when the incident occurred near Pipli toll plaza in Kharkhoda. The accident spot was around 25 km from Singhu border, the epicentre of last year's farmers' protest against farm laws.

As per the police, the post mortem of Deep Sidhu's body will be done today morning and the report will be collected later in the evening. An investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident was underway.

According to the police, Sidhu had sustained serious head injuries in the accident. TV visuals showed the white SUV badly damaged on the driver's side after it rammed into the stationary truck.

Sidhu had participated in the farmers' agitation against the Centre's three farm laws at the Delhi borders. He was arrested on February 9, 2021, in connection with the Red Fort violence on Republic Day during the farmers' tractor parade against the Centre's three agriculture laws. He was in jail for over two months before being released on bail.

The actor, who hailed from Punjab's Muktsar district, was reportedly present at the Red Fort when a religious flag and a farmer flag were put at the flagpole at the historic monument. Following a massive outrage, Sidhu had then defended the protester's action, saying they did not remove the national flag and had put up the 'Nishan Sahib' as a symbolic protest.

At that time, Sidhu was accused by farm bodies of trying to defame their agitation and termed a "traitor". He had hit out at farm leaders for allegedly spreading propaganda and hatred against him.

Sidhu was also a close aide of BJP MP Sunny Deol, who contested from the Gurdaspur seat in Punjab during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He had remained with Deol during the poll campaigning. Deol however had distanced himself from Sidhu after he joined the farmers' agitation.


(With Agencies Inputs)