India Gate Protesters Get Bail in One Case, Sent to Custody in Another Amid Scuffle Allegations

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New Delhi - In a recent court ruling, 9 protesters accused of involvement in a scuffle at the Parliament Street police station were granted bail. However, in a separate case, 8 of the same protesters were sent to 7 days of judicial custody. A total of 23 protesters were arrested in two cases at the Parliament Street and Kartavya Path police stations. The arrests stemmed from incidents on November 27, where protesters allegedly used pepper spray on police officers at India Gate. In the first case, a court initially sent 4 protesters to police custody and 13 to judicial custody. However, on Friday, Judicial Magistrate Sahil Monga granted bail to 9 of the protesters, citing that further detention was not necessary. In the second case, 15 of the 17 protesters arrested at the Parliament Street police station were re-arrested in connection with the Kartavya Path case. After hearing arguments, Judicial Magistrate Aridaman Singh Cheema ruled that the re-arrests were lawful and sent the 8 freshly-held accused to 7 days of judicial custody. Advocate Sowjhanya Shankaran argued on behalf of 4 accused, stating that the grounds for re-arrest were not provided and the action was 'illegal.' However, the police maintained that the grounds were given and relatives were informed. The court's decision comes amidst allegations that some protesters are supporters of the banned Radical Students' Union. The Delhi Police previously stated that a few protesters were found to be singing songs and supporting the banned organization on social media.