Cops: India Gate protesters used 5 Groups on WhatsApp

Delhi Police linked student protesters at India Gate to WhatsApp groups allegedly supporting Naxal leader Madvi Hidma during anti-pollution protests.

The students involved in the clashes during an anti-pollution protest at India Gate on November 23 allegedly coordinated through five WhatsApp groups where purported messages supporting Naxal leader Madvi Hidma were shared, the Delhi Police told a city court on Monday.

On November 28, Delhi Police re-arrested eight students in a second FIR lodged at Kartavya Path police station. (HT File Photo)

The submissions were made before judicial magistrate first class Aridaman Singh Cheema during hearings on the bail pleas of six accused students. In a supplementary response, police listed five WhatsApp groups – Coordination Group for Protest 23rd, DU Against Air Pollution, SFS Air Pollution Protest, bsCEM, and Himkhand Announcements – stating that all the accused were members and some served as administrators.

The prosecution claimed that one chat allegedly showed a protester questioning why an air pollution protest was being diverted towards support for Hidma. “The accused responded that the protest was about the killing of Hidma and others who protected the environment,” the prosecutor told the court.

Investigators also said they had accessed a social media video showing 10 people on stage singing in praise of the Radical Students Union (RSU), followed by slogans allegedly supporting the RSU and Naxal leaders. Three individuals seen raising these slogans were identified, police said, adding that their mobile locations also placed them in Hyderabad and Bastar.

Police further argued that the organisers of a conference in Hyderabad – where some of these individuals reportedly participated – their mode of invitation, places of stay, and any links with Naxal ground workers were still under investigation. They alleged that the accused had not cooperated with inquiries so far.

The police response also outlined the specific roles of the accused. One student, Aahan Upadhyay, was described as an editorial member who allegedly helped prepare digital posters and edited messages circulated across the groups.

Opposing the police narrative, advocate Syed Pasha, appearing for one of the accused, said the authorities were presenting an incomplete picture. “The accused only supported those who protected the environment, not any violent methods,” he argued.

The court adjourned the matter to Tuesday for further arguments.

On November 28, Delhi Police re-arrested eight students in a second FIR lodged at Kartavya Path police station – hours after they were granted bail in a parallel case linked to the same protest at Parliament Street police station.