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Daryaganj suspects sent to judicial custody, lawyers claim police picked up innocent civilians
New Delhi
New Delhi
A Delhi court on Saturday sent 15 suspects nabbed for violence at Daryaganj during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, to two days of judicial custody. The bail applications of all the people would now be heard on Monday before the court concerned.
Metropolitan Magistrate Arjinder Kaur, the duty magistrate hearing the matter in the absence of the judge concerned, sent all the suspects to jail till December 23. The police had sought 15 days judicial custody for the arrested.
Appearing for the suspects, senior advocate Rebecca John, told the court that all the offences are bailable. She contended that the suspects cannot be booked for damaging public property, as the car that was burnt was not public property.
“These men are aged between 22 and 25 years. They are daily wagers, carpenters. What is the individual role attributed to these 15 men?” John questioned.
“What common intention can these men have? They had all gone to pray at the mosque. What common intention can they have?, she added. She also said that no individual role has been assigned to the suspects in the FIR.
John also informed the court that one of the arrested suspects was a juvenile who was 15 years old. But the police had mentioned his age as 23.
The investigating officer in the case, however, countered this by saying that the matter was still being investigated and can be determined only after a proper verification.
Opposing the judicial remand, John moved the bail applications of all the suspects. However, the court said that the bail application would be heard by the concerned judge after the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate marks it.
The court was jam packed with several lawyers, family members of those arrested and media personnel. One of the suspects, Sabil Ahmed, 24, who is learning tailoring, said he was coming back home from work when he was arrested.
“I was returning back home when I was arrested. I don’t know anything about the car burning. I was not a part of the protests,” Ahmed, a resident of Jaffarabad, said.
Another suspect, 22-year-old Mohammad Athar from Khazoori Khas, said that even though he had participated in the protest, he did not take part in the violence.
“I was there at Jama Masjid for the protest. However, as soon as I came out after offering prayers at the mosque, I was arrested. I am jobless and have an interview tomorrow at a private company. I don’t even know about the burning of the car,” Athar said.
Altaf Ahmed, father of one of the suspects—Abbas Ahmed — too claimed that his son was innocent.
“My son works as a carpenter and he was arrested from near Jama Masjid when he was returning home from work. He has nothing to do with the protests,” Ahmed said.
Appearing for the Delhi police, public prosecutor Arvind Kumar Shukla, told the court that public property has been damaged and people have been injured. He alleged that the violence was a “planned” and “pre meditated”.
“In depth investigation is required,” he said.
Advocate Mahmood Pracha, representing Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, informed the court that his client has not been produced.
“Chandrashekhar has not been produced. The investigating officer is here. Please ask where is he? Whether he is dead or alive,” he said.
Replying to the query posed by the court, the investigating officer said that he has been sent for medical examination and will be produced within 24 hours of the arrest, according to law. Azad was later produced in another court and was remanded to judicial custody.
The court will now hear the bail applications of the 15 suspects on Monday.
