Noida: Man accused of rioting in workers’ stir gets bail

A Noida court granted bail to Mahendra, linked to a violent workers' protest, citing lack of evidence for his involvement. Other bail pleas were denied.

Noida: A Gautam Budh Nagar court has granted bail to a man arrested in connection with the workers’ protest in Noida that turned violent on April 13, observing that the prosecution failed to place on record any material establishing his “active and identifiable role” in the unrest.

In its order, the court noted that the prosecution had not placed on record any CCTV footage, video recordings, photographs or other material linking the accused to the violence. (HT Archive)

The order was passed by additional sessions judge Somprabha Mishra, special judge under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, while hearing the bail plea of Mahendra, who was arrested on April 16 and booked on charges including attempt to murder, rioting, various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and Section 7 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act.

In its order, the court noted that the prosecution had not placed on record any CCTV footage, video recordings, photographs or other material linking the accused to the violence.

“It does not appear that the identification of the accused was made through any CCTV footage, video recording, or photographs of the incident. No such material has been produced on record that specifically demonstrates an active and identifiable role of the accused in the commission of the alleged offence,” the court observed.

Mahendra’s counsel argued that he was innocent, was not named in the FIR and had been falsely implicated. According to the defence, he was arrested while on his way to work at a grocery store where he is employed as a daily-wage labourer.

The government counsel opposed the plea, contending that witness statements in the case diary indicated Mahendra’s involvement in the violence. The prosecution relied on statements made by an e-rickshaw driver and sub-inspector Mohit Kumar.

The court, however, observed that the available material did not clearly establish the basis on which the witnesses had identified him.

“Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, there are sufficient grounds for granting bail to the accused,” the court said in its May 29 order.

Mahendra was released on a personal bond of ₹50,000 and two sureties of the same amount.

The violence erupted on April 13 during a workers’ agitation in Noida’s Phase 2 industrial area. The protest had begun on April 10 after the Haryana government announced a 35% increase in wages for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers. More than 100 factories were allegedly vandalised and several vehicles set on fire during the unrest.

Meanwhile, the court on May 29 rejected the bail pleas of 10 other accused arrested in connection with the violence.