Well known Punjabi actor and activist Deep Sidhu, who shot into the limelight following the Red Fort violence during the farmers’ rally on Republic Day last year, died in a road accident on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) highway near Sonepat on Tuesday night. Sidhu’s sudden roadside demise with just days before Punjab goes to the polls is being viewed as suspicious by the lawyer-actor’s supporters, many of whom are calling it murder by state actors.

By DESIBUZZCanada Staff With News Files

NEW DELHI – Well known Punjabi actor and activist Deep Sidhu, who shot into the limelight following the Red Fort violence during the farmers’ rally on Republic Day last year, died in a road accident on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) highway near Sonepat on Tuesday night.

Sidhu’s sudden roadside demise with just days before Punjab goes to the polls is being viewed as suspicious by the lawyer-actor’s supporters, many of whom are calling it murder by state actors.

According to Virender Singh, DSP, Sonepat, Sidhu died when his vehicle rammed into the rear of a truck.

Police said the incident was reported around 9 pm near Peepli toll booth on the KMP, in Haryana’s Kharkhoda area, when Sidhu and his friend, a Punjabi actress, were on their way to Punjab in a Scorpio.

A senior police officer said the vehicle hit the back of a stationary truck which had broken down on the side of the road. 

Visuals from the accident site show a white Mahindra Scorpio smashed on the rear of a trailer truck; the SUV’s driver side area is completely pushed in by the impact.

Sidhu was going from Delhi to Bhatinda in Punjab when the SUV in which he was travelling rammed a trailer truck at 9:30 pm today, the police said.

“Deep Sidhu was at the wheel at the time. His friend suffered bruises and was taken to a nearby hospital for a check-up. Her condition is stable,” said a police officer. 

Sidhu was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead. His body was taken to the civil hospital in Kharkhoda.

A day after last year’s Republic Day farmers’ protest, which had spiralled into violence in the national capital, Delhi Police had registered 25 FIRs against farm union leaders and protesters for allegedly storming the Red Fort and vandalising property.

One of the FIRs named Sidhu and gangster turned politician Lakhbir Sidhana for allegedly “orchestrating” the incident and “inciting” farmers. They were booked under sections of rioting, criminal conspiracy, attempt to murder and robbery.

Senior police officers had claimed that Sidhu had come up in videos, posted on social media by protesters, addressing the crowd on the route for the tractor march. He was arrested on February 9 last year by the Special Cell of Delhi Police.

He got bail in April, but was arrested again just after he was released. He was released on bail a second time in late April, with a court in Delhi making it clear he has to appear for questioning whenever the police called him.

Sidhu was part of the larger farmers’ protest across India but mainly in the north where farmers were protesting against three new farm laws, which were withdrawn by the centre in November 2021.

In a tweet hours after Sidhu’s death, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi tweeted his condolences on the actor’s death. “Deeply saddened to learn about the unfortunate demise of renowned actor and social activist, Deep Sidhu. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved family and fans,” Mr Channi tweeted.

Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and the Aam Aadmi Party’s chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann also tweeted condolences.