India Gate protest: 10 get bail; 1 denied

A Delhi court on Tuesday granted bail to 10 of the 23 persons accused of scuffling with the police and raising pro-Naxal slogans during a protest against air pollution at India Gate last month, while rejecting the bail plea of one accused who had allegedly raised slogans in support of a Naxal leader at the site.

- Arnabjit Sur

In its bail order, judicial magistrate first class Aridaman Singh Cheema observed that the prosecution had produced no material to show that the accused were linked to any radical or Naxal organisation, and that all investigative material, including CCTV footage and video clips, was already with the police.

In a common observation for those granted bail, the court said, "The allegations are regarding the presence of accused at the protest site raising slogans... no purpose shall be served by keeping the accused in judicial custody further." It added that concerns about absconding or tampering with evidence could be addressed through reasonable bail conditions.