New Delhi: A Delhi court Tuesday said that Indian Youth Congress (IYC) chief Uday Bhanu Chib, booked by Delhi Police over a shirtless protest at India’s AI Impact Summit, is entitled to a copy of the FIR, noting that the matter lacks the “hallmarks of terrorism or insurgency”.
The case, the court said, does not qualify as “sensitive” as the allegations against Chib stem from a symbolic protest at the Bharat Mandapam.
Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Ravi of the Patiala House Court directed the Delhi Police to supply an FIR copy to Chib. The Delhi Police had argued against it, claiming it was “sensitive in nature”. The court, however, stated that mere categorisation by the police of a case as sensitive is not enough to deny the accused an FIR copy.
“Mere categorisation by police is not conclusive, the court must examine the nature of offence. Here, allegations stem from a symbolic protest at Bharat Mandapam…lacking hallmarks of terrorism/insurgency. Thus, it does not qualify as sensitive; IO’s claim is untenable,” read the order, a copy of which ThePrint has seen.
The magistrate also said that denial of FIR copy would violate Articles 21 and 22 of the Indian Constitution and giving the accused the FIR copy would not pose any risk to the investigation.
“Denial of FIR copy violates statutory mandate u/s 230 BNSS and constitutional safeguards under Article 21 (fair procedure) and Article 22 (prompt information on arrest grounds),” said the order. “Applicant cannot prepare bail/defence without foundational document, causing irreparable prejudice.”
Meanwhile, Chib was also remanded to Delhi Police custody for four days.
On Friday, a group of IYC workers staged a shirtless protest at Hall No. 5 of the summit venue, brandishing T-shirts printed with slogans against the government and the India-US interim trade deal, before being whisked away by security personnel.
The FIR was registered at Tilak Marg Police Station under BNS sections 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), 121(1) (voluntarily causing hurt), 132 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant(, 195(1) (assaulting or obstructing public servant when suppressing riot), 221 (obstructs any public servant in the discharge of his public functions), 223(A) (disobedience to an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant), 190 (every member of an unlawful assembly in prosecution of the common object), 196 (promoting enmity, hatred, or disharmony between different groups based on religion, race, language, or caste), 197 (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 3(5) (common intention).
The police have so far made eight arrests in the case on grounds of breaching security and raising anti-national slogans at the venue.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)