New Delhi, Nov 29 (UNI) The Delhi Police on Saturday strongly opposed bail for six accused in the India Gate protest case, telling a court they have uncovered new video evidence allegedly linking the students to a radical Naxalite organisation.
In a key submission before Judicial Magistrate First Class Aridaman Singh Cheema at Patiala House Court, DCP (New Delhi) Devesh Mahla stated, “There is video evidence on record which shows that some of the accused persons attended a conference of the Radical Students union (RSU), which was held in Hyderabad on February 21 and 22.” The DCP further claimed that multiple other videos are being recovered from social media, which allegedly show the students’ links and support for the Naxalite movement.
Arguing for the denial of bail, the police contended that they need custody to confront the accused with the new evidence. “We will need their police custody to confront them with the new evidence and if let out on bail, they might influence witnesses,” DCP Mahla told the court.
The prosecution further opposed the plea, stating the investigation was at a nascent stage. They argued that granting bail now would prevent them from seeking police custody later if more evidence emerges. “We still need to establish as to who asked them to make posters and on whose directions did they raise slogans in support of Naxalite leader Madvi Hidma,” the prosecutor said.
Meanwhile, the defence counsels for the accused argued that keeping the students in jail based solely on the investigating agency’s requirements would jeopardise their future educational and career prospects. Advocate Abhinav Sekhri, representing one of the accused, Vishnu, argued that the police’s conspiracy theory was baseless. “The police’s case of an alleged conspiracy behind protest falls flat on the face as carrying a pepper spray does not necessarily mean that an assault is being planned on police personnel…no one conspired to carry out any wrongdoing,” he told the court.
The court has adjourned the hearing to Monday and has asked the police to file supplementary reports detailing the roles of each accused.
This development comes a day after the Delhi Police re-arrested eight students in a separate FIR hours after they were granted bail in a case linked to the same protest. The students were subsequently sent to seven days’ judicial custody.
The protest, which took place under the banner of the Delhi Coordination Committee for Clean Air, began as a sit-in at India Gate. Police alleged the gathering was unauthorized and that participants turned confrontational when officials moved to disperse the crowd.
