India Gate protest: 6 accused sent to 3-day police custody as cops claim link with radical group

New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Wednesday told a court here that a few protesters, arrested for allegedly using pepper spray on police personnel during a demonstration at the India Gate over pollution, are supporters of banned Radical Student Union.

The submissions were made before Judicial Magistrate Aridaman Singh Cheema in the case related to six students who were arrested from India Gate on November 23.

“Few of these students were found to be singing songs and supporting the banned frontal organisation, Radical Student Union, on social media,” New Delhi DCP Devesh Kumar Mahla told the court.

The police sought seven-day custody of all the six accused, saying they needed accused persons' further interrogation to unravel the entire case and conspiracy, if any.

The court, however, permitted police to interrogate the accused for the next three days in the case.

On November 23, a total of 23 students, including 11 women students, were arrested after two FIRs were registered at Kartavya Path and Parliament Street police stations.

The arrested students were produced before two judicial magistrates at the Patiala House Court on November 24.

During the hearing on Wednesday, the police also informed the court that 10 police personnel suffered injuries and pepper spray was recovered from three protesters.

“During the protest, banners of (slain Maoist leader) Madvi Hidma were displayed and they were in English. The video shows that they were directly involved in it. Some of them are the same protesters who blocked Mann Singh Road on November 9,” DCP Mahla said.

The police also submitted CCTV footage of the protesters breaking the barricading and pushing police personnel.

The defence counsel said that the arrestees faced torture during the judicial custody and contented that they were mere students protesting against the deteriorating air pollution.

“They were students, protesting against the rising air pollution. They were punished for using their constitutional right to protest,” the counsel said.

The FIR was registered against the protesters under relevant sections of BNS including 79 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 74 (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 221 (obstructing public servants in discharge of duties) and 223 (disobedience to a lawful order from a public servant).

On November 24, the Delhi Police said that a group of protesters raised slogans hailing Madvi Hidma, a top Maoist leader who was killed in an encounter in Andhra Pradesh earlier this month.