NEW DELHI, Feb 9: Social activist and actor Deep Sidhu, an accused in the Republic Day farmers' violence at the Red Fort in the national Capital, was arrested by the Delhi police from Karnal in neighbouring Haryana on Tuesday and was sent in police custody for seven days.

He is accused of instigating a group of farmers to storm the Red Fort on Republic Day. An FIR has been filed by the police. The police had announced a cash award of Rs 1 lakh each for clues about the whereabouts of absconding Sidhu, who kept changing his location to evade arrest, and three others - Jugraj Singh, Gurjot Singh and Gurjant Singh - who hoisted a Khalsa flag at the Red Fort, and Rs 50,000 each for information about four others accused of instigating the violence - Buta Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Jajbir Singh and Iqbal Singh.

Police said his videos were uploaded from California by his friend to keep his location a secret. He was sending his videos to his friend, a woman, and she was uploading them on his Facebook account. In the videos Sidhu was seen pleading innocence and blaming the farmers' unions for the violence.

"I have raised the voice of Punjab and its people. I was branded a traitor. There were 5 lakh people at the Red Fort, including singers and leaders, but only one (I) was singled out," Sidhu said. He told the farmers' unions who accused him of diverting the tractor rally to storm the Red Fort, "If I'm being labeled a gaddar (traitor), then all farmer leaders are gaddars."

The farmers agitating against three new Central laws on procurement and trade of agricultural produce, for over two months, were taking out a tractor rally on R-Day which was diverted to the Red Fort by militant sections among the protesters leading to the violence and clashes with the police. A Khalsa flag was also hoisted on the ramparts of the Red Fort by unidentified people. After the incident, Sidhu and others allegedly involved in the violence and flag hoisting, reportedly fled the place and were absconding.