India Gate protest: Delhi court sends 3 protesters to police custody over pepper spray attack

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Monday remanded three protesters, identified as Ravjot, Gurkirat, and Kranti, to three days of police custody in a case involving the alleged use of pepper spray against police personnel during a pollution protest at India Gate last month.

The court also sent seven other accused protesters to seven days of judicial custody. While Delhi Police requested 10 days of police custody for Ayisha Wafiya and three other women, the court granted three days of judicial custody instead, with Judicial Magistrate First Class Aridaman Singh Cheema ordering that the women be interrogated solely by female investigating officers due to claims of harassment during questioning.

Delhi Police alleged that some arrested students attended a conference of the banned Radical Students' Union in Hyderabad and that videos show alleged links to the Naxalite movement. Investigators cited the need to probe slogans supporting slain Maoist commander Madvi Hidma and trace funding sources, noting expensive phones and travel to a conference.

The defence argued the accused had cooperated, had previously been interrogated, and that seized devices eliminated the risk of tampering. They contended that many protesters did not actively coordinate actions beyond being present and participating in a WhatsApp group, suggesting no conspiracy.

The police were also criticised for a lack of progress in identifying the source of the pepper spray despite extended interrogations.

A total of 23 protesters were arrested related to incidents at Parliament Street and Kartavya Path police stations—17 at Parliament Street and 6 at Kartavya Path, connected to the pepper spray use during the India Gate protest.

With inputs from PTI