Slogans were raised in support of Naxalite Hidma by some protesters during the protest on the issue of pollution at India Gate on 23 November in the country’s capital Delhi. In this case, the police had detained more than 20 people, out of which some were released after interrogation, while many were sent to jail. Yesterday, their bail petitions were heard, in which the court granted bail to 9 out of 10 accused. The court rejected the petition of the woman who raised pro-Naxal slogans.
The court gave relief to most of the accused and granted bail as there was not enough evidence of radical links. However, a woman was denied bail on the grounds of possible links with the banned Naxalite organisation. The police are currently investigating the entire matter in depth.
Justice Aridman Singh Cheema said the prosecution had failed to prove that the accused had any connection with any radical or Naxal organisation. The court said that all the investigation material including CCTV footage and video clips is already available with the police. “The charges pertain only to presence at the protest site and raising slogans. Hence, there is no justification for keeping the accused in further judicial custody,” the judge said.
Who did the court not grant bail to?
The court accepted the bail pleas of most of the accused, while rejected the plea of one accused woman, Ilakia. The court held that Ilakia had indeed raised slogans in support of Hidma and that she was allegedly associated with the Radical Students Union (RSU), a banned frontal organization of Naxalites.
Rejecting Ilakia’s bail plea, the court said that the identity of other members associated with RSU is still under investigation. The court noted that the demonstration which was intended only to protest on the issue of pollution turned into support for Hidma and the identity of the accused Ilakiya has come to light as a member of the RSU.
The court also acknowledged that if Ilakia is released, there is a possibility of him repeating such activities. It was also told that the entire demonstration was planned by him. If she is released on bail, she may alert other concerned persons who are likely to abscond.
Police said slogans were raised in support of Naxalites
Police allege that the protesters had raised pro-Naxal slogans. However, the defense completely rejected these claims and argued that there was no concrete evidence linking the accused to any Naxalite organization. The defense also said that the maximum punishment under the sections under which he has been arrested is less than seven years, hence the general rule is to get bail legally.
when was the demonstration
There was a protest against air pollution at Delhi’s India Gate late in the evening of 23 November. During this, some protesters waved posters of the country’s most wanted Naxalite commander Madvi Hidma (44). The posters compared Hidma to tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda and described him as the “keeper of water, forest and land”. The situation worsened when protesters sprayed pepper spray on the police, injuring three–four policemen. After this the police arrested more than 23 people, some of whom have already got bail.
Follow the LALLURAM.COM MP channel on WhatsApp
Click to read big news of India and abroad
Click here to read Read.com news in English
Click here to read sports news
Click to read big entertainment news
Comments are closed.