Deep Sidhu, named in FIR, untraceable

Punjabi actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu, who has been named in connection with the violence in Delhi on Republic Day, has reportedly gone missing. He was last seen in the January 26 crowd that reached the iconic Red Fort was accused of instigating the protesters and provoking them to install Nishan Sahib, a symbol of Sikh religion, on its ramparts.

In a Facebook live from the Red Fort, Sidhu, who was once known for his proximity with actor and BJP MP Sunny Deol, was heard saying: "We have only hoisted the Nishan Sahib flag on the Red Fort while exercising our democratic right to protest."

He also said the national flag was not removed from the flagpole at the Red Fort and that nobody raised a question over the country's unity and integrity. In another video, Sidhu was seen fleeing from Red Fort on a bike.

Sidhu, along with gangster-turned-social activist Lakha Sidhana, have been named the main accused in the Delhi violence. Sidhana is a gangster-turned-politician and was acquitted in several cases before he contested the 2012 assembly polls as a candidate of the People's Party of Punjab, once led by Manpreet Singh Badal, who is currently the Finance Minister in the Congress government in Punjab. Farmer leaders have, in fact, distanced themselves from both Sidhu and Sidhana and blamed them for inciting violence. However, Sidhu, blaming the farmer union leaders of taking decisions without consulting the people and defending himself, in his latest video, said: "I am seeing that false propaganda and hatred is being spread against me." Born in 1984 in Punjab's Muktsar district, Sidhu has studied law. His first Punjabi movie, "Ramta Jogi", was released in 2015. His second movie, "Jora Das Numbria", in 2018 was hit.