2024 protest case: Delhi court exempts TMC leaders from personal appearance

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Wednesday granted exemption from personal appearance for the day to TMC leaders Derek O'Brien, Sagarika Ghose, Saket Gokhle and other party functionaries in a case related to holding a protest in front of the Election Commission of India despite a prohibitory order in April last year.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Mittal granted relief to eight leaders, including TMC's Santanu Sen, Dola Sen, Nadimul Haque, Arpita Ghosh, Abir Ranjan Bishwas and Sudip Raha, on an application moved by their lawyer.

The judge directed them to appear before the court on May 13, the next date of hearing.

Mittal, meanwhile, noted the presence of TMC leader Vivek Gupta and directed him to appear before the court on the next date of hearing to file a bail bond.

She also issued fresh summons to TMC leader Santanu Sen, noting that the summons issued to him earlier "returned unserved".

The judge on April 21 summoned the 10 accused persons in the case.

According to Delhi Police, on April 8 last year, TMC leaders accused in the case gathered outside the main gate of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and held a protest with placards and banners without a requisite permission and despite the fact that Section 144 (prohibit gathering) of Code of Criminal Procedure was in place.

Police alleged they continued to protest despite being informed about the prohibitory orders, following which an FIR was registered.

The TMC leaders were protesting against central probe agencies CBI, NIA, ED and the Income Tax Department and demanded changing their chiefs.

A 10-member delegation of the TMC had announced the protest after meeting a full bench of the ECI to press their demand.

The party alleged the central probe agencies were targeting opposition parties at the behest of the BJP-led Centre.