The Delhi Police has opposed the bail pleas of several college students arrested after a protest at India Gate on November 23, telling Patiala House Court that social media content linked to the group suggested possible connections to Naxalite ideology, according to a report by Moneycontrol. Notably, the court is hearing bail applications for six of the accused.
The police said an Instagram post from the Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch (BSCEM), one of the groups involved in the demonstration, allegedly praised Maoist leader Madvi Hidma, whom security forces killed in an encounter in Andhra Pradesh last month. The police said the post referred to the incident as a “fake encounter” carried out by a “fascist Indian state”, as reported to the court.
Investigators also pointed to an eight-page article found on BSCEM’s Instagram account. The police told Judicial Magistrate First Class Aridaman Singh Cheema that the document included slogans such as: “Red salute to Madvi Hidma, blood debt of the martyrs will be repaid. Long live the revolutionary martyrs. Long live Marxism, Leninism, Maoism.” Importantly, the police is examining the material as part of a wider probe into the protesters’ motives.
Background: What Happened on November 23
The arrests stem from a November 23 demonstration at India Gate, where students and activists gathered to initially protest against Delhi’s worsening air quality. However, according to police officials some participants later displayed posters and chanted slogans referencing Maoist leader Hidma, whom security forces recently killed in an encounter. Notably, India Gate, which is not a designated protest site, saw traffic disruptions as demonstrators blocked the C-Hexagon for over an hour.
According to the police, the situation escalated when some protesters allegedly resisted being removed, leading to a scuffle in which pepper spray was reportedly used on police personnel. Several police officers were injured and taken to RML Hospital.
Posts Allegedly Supporting Banned Outfit Cited in Court
The police further told the court that another post showed three of the accused performing on songs that, according to investigators, glorifying the Radical Students Union (RSU). Earlier, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Devesh Mahla informed the court that the RSU is a banned organisation and described it as “a frontal organisation” for Maoist groups, adding that the accused had openly supported it on social media.
The police have registered two FIRs against the protesters, charging them with assault, obstructing public servants, and outraging the modesty of women. Notably, they granted bail to eight of the accused in the first FIR, but re-arrested them in connection with the second one. So far, the police has designated 21 of the 23 protesters — all in judicial or police custody — as accused in both cases.
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