Actor Deep Sidhu was killed in a road accident that took place in the evening hours of Tuesday - February 15 in Haryana's Sonipat district. The Punjabi actor had made headlines last year by being the key conspirator of the Red Fort violence during last year's Republic Day in the midst of farmers' protests in Delhi. While it was initially said that the farmers from Punjab had hoisted a Sikh flag in the Red Fort, it has then come to the revelation that it was a plot conspired by Deep Sidhu and his affiliates. 

He was travelling on Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway in Haryana's Sonipat district when his car hit a truck. According to reports, the 37-year-old actor was travelling from Delhi to Punjab and the accident took place near Pipli toll plaza in Kharkhoda. Local police inspector Jaspal Singh said, "Deep Sidhu died in the accident. A female friend accompanying him was taken to a hospital where her condition was stable." The police have launched a probe into the mishap. 

Following the accident, Sidhu had sustained serious head injuries in the accident and the visuals had shown the actor's white SUV had badly damaged on the driver's side after it rammed into a stationary truck. After the accident and the actor's demise made headlines, several leaders had paid tribute. Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi tweeted, "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 his fans", Channi added. Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal said that the untimely death of the actor has come as a shock to his admirers and the entire film fraternity. The lawyer-turned-artiste from Muktsar was an inspiration for many. Sincere condolences to his family and prayers for the departed soul." AAP Punjab chief Bhagwant Mann has also consoled the death of Sidhu. 

Besides being an actor, Sidhu had gotten a wider prominence through taking part in the farmers' agitation against the three contentious farm laws passed by the Union government. The actor was arrested on February 9, 2021, in connection with the Red Fort violence on Republic Day during the farmers' tractor parade against the government and the three farm laws.  He was in incarceration for two months and later, he was awarded bail. He was present at the Red Fort when a religious flag and a farmer flag were put at the flagpole of the fortress. 

The farm unions had accused Sidhu of trying to defame their protests and termed him a traitor. However, the actor had slammed the farm leaders for spreading propaganda and hatred against him. Sidhu was also accused of conspiring the farmers' protest and there were several claims that it was his men who had hoisted the religious flag at the flagpole of the Indian tricolour. A year later of the violence, he has passed away in an accident.

In ten points: Deep Sidhu's life and death

• Born on April 2, 1984, Deep Sidhu was a native of the Muktsar Sahib district of Punjab. 
• Though a lawyer by profession, Sidhu had started his career as a model and made his debut in the movie 'Ramta Jogi' in 2015. He had acted in eight Punjabi films. 
• Sidhu entered politics during the 2019 Lok Sabha Polls and campaigned for Gurdaspur BJP MP Sunny Deol. 
• He was said to be close to Deol and in December 2020, during farmers' protest, farmer unions had used Sidhu's pictures with Prime Minister Modi and Deol to show the link of BJP in the protests. However, Sidhu had denied this claim. 
• As a model, he became the winner of Kingfisher Model Hunt after which he left law and began working in the film industry. 
• After his demise in a road accident on Tuesday, Sonipat police in Haryana had filed an FIR against a truck driver based on Deep Sidhu's brother Surjeet's complaint. The FIR was filed under sections 279 - rash driving and 304A - causing death by negligence of the Indian Penal Code. 
• The accident had happened at around 9.30 pm on Tuesday hours and in his complaint, Surjeet has told police, "Neither the parking lights of the said truck were visible and that it was dark. It was a complete act of negligence on the part of the driver of the truck due to which the car hit the truck and my brother had sustained fatal injuries.
• On the other hand, Deep Sidhu's friend Reena Rai, who was also in the car with him, had survived the mishap. The police said that Reena was on the left side of the car which was not heavily damaged. After the accident, the airbag on Reena's side opened immediately. However, for Deep Sidhu, the airbag has got exploded. Reena was taken to the hospital and is getting treated. 
• An autopsy was conducted on Sidhu's body on Wednesday and it was conducted by a team of three doctors - Dr Pankaj Keswani, Dr Bhanu, and Dr Rajesh Singh. His body would be taken to Ludhiana where his final rites will take place. 
• According to the latest reports, the police have found a bottle of liquor in Deep Sidhu's car. Sonipat SP Rahul Sharma said, "We are again investigating the scene of the accident. We also found a half-filled bottle of liquor from Deep Sidhu's car. It looks like a case of reckless driving." The police are investigating Sidhu's friend Reena Rai who was travelling with him in the car.