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‘Mockery of law, gave wrong addresses’: Why Delhi court ordered judicial custody of India Gate protesters
The Delhi court sent four students to two days' police custody and 13 others to one-day judicial custody.
The police on Thursday told a Delhi court that some of the protesters, arrested for assaulting police personnel during the protest at India Gate over pollution, made a mockery of the law and gave incorrect addresses.
A bench of Judicial Magistrate Sahil Monga was hearing the case involving 17 students who were arrested on November 23 while protesting over pollution.
“It is very astounding that most of the accused persons before the court furnished incorrect addresses. The information sheet of most accused persons has been received back unverified by the local police. This proves that the accused persons are not only making a mockery of the law but also deliberately hiding their identity,” the Delhi Police told the court, according to PTI.
Also Read: Six students sent to police custody over India Gate protest clashes
The court sent four students to two days' police custody and 13 others to one-day judicial custody. The four students sent to two-day judicial custody include: Gurkirat, Ravjot, Kranti, and Abhinash.
The case against the 17 students has been booked under various offences under BNS, including assault or criminal force to deter a public servant, obstructing a public servant, and conspiracy to commit offences against the State.
The police told the court that on November 23 that some of the students gathered at the gate of Parliament Street police station and started ‘aggressive sloganeering’ against the government and restricted the entrance and exit gate of the police station.
“When police staff tried to control and remove the protesters from the gate of police station, they started scuffling with the police and attacked the police staff in which seven police personnel also got injured, who were medically examined,” the police said.
On the other hand, the defense counsel argued that the police failed to show any evidence against their clients and they cannot be sent to custody just because police failed to verify their addresses.
“What do they want to investigate? Investigation can be done without custody. The accused cannot be put in custody just because their address could not be verified by the police,” the defence counsel said.
Earlier on November 24, the Delhi court sent all 17 protesters to three days judicial custody noting that they raised slogans hailing slain Maoist leader Madvi Hidma.
