R-Day violence: Hunt on for 'flag-hoister', family; kin says Jugraj is innocent

As the investigation into the Red Fort violence on Republic Day has intensified with Delhi Police registering a sedition case in connection with the violence, the hunt is on for Jugraj who is believed to have climbed atop the Red Fort and hoisted the Nishan Sahib first. It is also being probed whether he had any links with Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu, who has been accused of instigating the protesters.

Reports have claimed that Jugraj's parents have fled the village in the wake of the controversy and his grandfather Mehal Singh who is at their village home in Tarn Taran believes that Jugraj was innocent.

Jugraj's grandfather Mehal Singh has told news agency PTI that Jugraj must have climbed the flagpole on the insistence of a fellow protester. "A fellow protester asked him (Jugraj) to climb the flagpole after others could not do so. Jugraj then agreed to climb up the flagpole to hoist the flag," Mehal said about his grandson adding that he was innocent.

The family owns three acres of farmland in the village and Jugraj has three siblings. It has been learnt that Jugraj joined the farmers' protest a few days ago and he is an expert in putting up Nishan Sahib at gurdwaras like his father Baldev Singh.