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Delhi court grants bail to six accused in India Gate protest case
According to the police, 23 protesters were arrested in two separate cases lodged at the Parliament Street and Kartavya Path police stations.
A Delhi court on Friday granted bail to six protesters arrested in connection with the agitation on Kartavya Path, where slogans were allegedly raised in support of slain Maoist commander Madvi Hidma, saying they were not required for further investigation.
Additional Sessions Judge Amit Bansal was hearing the bail plea of Ilakkiya, Ayisha Wafiya, Ravjot Kaur, Gurkirat Kaur, Abhinash Satyapathi and Kranti.
"The applicants (six accused people) have already suffered a custody of about one month each, and it seems from the submissions that they are not required for any further investigation."
"No reasonable apprehension has been shown by the prosecution that there is a threat of tampering with the witnesses or that the applicants are a flight risk," the court said.
It said that none of the accused persons were members of the banned Maoist student organisation, Radical Student Union (RSU).
"It is not the case of the prosecution in the reply to the bail applications that BSCEM (Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch) or Himkhand (of whom the applicants were members) is a banned group or organisation," the court said.
It directed the accused persons to furnish a bail bond and surety bond of ₹50,000 each.
Other conditions of bail included the accused persons not leaving India, not tampering with evidence, joining the investigation when required and appearing before the station house officer (SHO) of Kartavya Path police station every second Wednesday, until the police filed its chargesheet.
In its order, the court noted the prosecution's case, according to which, "on November 23, the applicants participated in a protest affiliated with Students' Federation of India (SFI), BSCEM and Himkhand, which was under the banner of Delhi Coordination Committee for clean air operating under the social media account the Himkhand."
It noted that during the protest, "they allegedly sat on C-Hexagon road, blocked traffic, obstructed the police officials from performing their duties, raised slogans unrelated to pollution and during the protest, applicant Aiyashah Wafiya Midhath handed over a pepper spray to one co-accused, Akshay, who sprayed it on the face of Constable Ishant, causing him simple injuries".
According to the police, 23 protesters were arrested in two separate cases lodged at the Parliament Street and Kartavya Path police stations.
