'Not involved with CJP's protest call': Neha Bora to Delhi HC on Oct 16 detention

The Delhi High Court was hearing Bora’s plea challenging a Delhi Police notice directing her to execute a bond of ₹10,000.

All India Students’ Association (AISA) president Neha Bora on Thursday told the Delhi High Court that she was not involved in a separate protest call issued by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Central Park on October 16.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke announced a flag march on Friday evening after the party’s co-convenors, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were arrested. (REUTERS)

The court was hearing Bora’s plea challenging a Delhi Police notice directing her to furnish a personal bond of ₹10,000.

Representing the student leader in court, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan termed her brief detention and the Delhi Police notice "completely illegal" and informed the court that she was not involved in a separate protest call by the CJP at Connaught Place.

“She is not involved with the CP Central Park call, and she was dealing with her own call at Mandi House,” the advocate told the high court on Thursday.

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A New Delhi district police officer, designated as the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM), had directed Bora to appear before it on Monday and execute the bond.

Why was Bora asked to furnish a bond?

The notice cited three grounds for requiring Bora to execute the bond: alleged sloganeering at Mandi House on October 16; repeated protests in the vicinity of Jantar Mantar despite prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS); and the allegation that she instigated people to participate in a protest at Connaught Place on October 16, HT reported earlier.

In her petition filed through advocate Abhik Chimni, Bora said the notice was prima facie ambiguous, factually incorrect and violative of Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution.

The notice did not provide any material or information to substantiate the “likelihood” of a breach of peace, or disclose the period, occasion or event in relation to which such a breach was apprehended, the petition said.

What happened on October 16?

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke announced a flag march on Friday evening after the party’s co-convenors, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were arrested for unfurling the national flag at Jantar Mantar the previous Tuesday. The duo were sent to five days’ judicial custody.

Bora, who began her flag march with AISA activists at Mandi House at 5.15 pm, was detained from there.

A New Delhi district police officer designated as the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) directed Bora to appear before it on Monday and execute a personal bond of ₹10,000 with one surety. The order was issued on October 17, the same day she was released after being detained on Friday for participating in the flag march.

Bora was released at 6 am on Saturday after being held for 12 hours. She subsequently criticised the police action, questioning the legal basis for detaining people overnight.