The Delhi Police, while seeking custody of those arrested during the India Gate protest where pro-Naxal slogans were raised in support of slain Naxalite Hidma, told the court that they wanted to uncover who “brainwashed” the protesters, drawing a comparison to the Delhi Red Fort blast.
The Public Prosecutor argued that, although the defense claimed all the arrested were students and educated individuals, it should be noted that the accused involved in the Delhi Red Fort blast were also doctors and educated professionals.
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“We want to know who brainwashed them, who funded them. We will confront them with the other co-accused. Who decided their slogans? We only want to safeguard the future of the country; this is why we need their custodial remand to expose the real culprits,” the Public Prosecutor stated.
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A defense counsel countered that slogans can be anti-establishment, but that alone should not justify custodial remand.
“You cannot equate these slogans with a bomb blast. There are also bruise marks on the students,” the defense added.
The defense further noted that the protesters were heading to meet media personnel stationed away from the barricades. The judge asked, “So you agree that the protesters broke the barricades?” The defense clarified that they were not making that claim.
After hearing the arguments, the judge granted three days of police custody for all six accused.
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