Delhi Court Grants Bail to IYC President Amid Controversial Protest

Bail Granted to Uday Bhanu Chib

New Delhi: A Delhi court has approved bail for Uday Bhanu Chib, the president of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), who was detained following a protest at the India AI Impact Summit. The court emphasized that no individual should lose their freedom based solely on assumptions.

Despite the bail being granted, the court mandated a verification of the documents and bonds submitted by Chib, resulting in him remaining in judicial custody until Sunday morning.

Chib appeared before Duty Magistrate Vanshika Mehta around 1 am, concluding his four-day police custody that was initially ordered on February 24.

The Delhi Police requested an additional three days of custody for Chib, but the court rejected this plea, asserting that the "right to life and liberty is fundamental to the Indian constitution."

In a handwritten ruling, the magistrate stated, "Bail is the norm, while imprisonment is the exception. The right to life and liberty is central to the Indian Constitution. No one should be deprived of their freedom based on mere conjectures or because co-accused individuals have not yet been apprehended."

The court also pointed out that the investigating officer failed to provide sufficient justification for extending Chib's police custody.

"Determining guilt is a matter for the trial process, and the law will take its course. What matters now is whether the accused's custody is necessary at this point. Given that Chib is the national president of the IYC and has strong community ties, he poses a low flight risk," the court noted.

The public prosecutor argued that further custody was essential to locate two other co-accused individuals.

Chib's defense counsel highlighted that Article 21 of the Constitution safeguards individual liberty.

The court remarked that to restrict someone's freedom, a compelling rationale must be presented, or evidence must be provided to show that denying custody could obstruct justice.

"While it can be argued that thorough investigations are crucial for justice, the investigating officer did not clarify why further police custody was necessary or for what specific purpose," the court stated.

"Personal liberty is a valued constitutional principle, and any deprivation must be strictly justified by law, especially when the accused is cooperative in the investigation. It is acknowledged by the State that Uday participated and responded to the notice," the court added.

The court instructed Chib to provide a surety bond of Rs 50,000 and to surrender his passport and electronic devices.

In contrast, another accused, Bhudev Sharma, was remanded to police custody for three days.

"Bhudev Sharma was present at the protest site. Given the serious nature of the allegations and the early stage of the investigation, his custody is necessary. He is to be presented before the metropolitan magistrate on March 2," the court concluded.

On February 24, Chib was placed in police custody for four days to investigate his involvement in the protest at Bharat Mandapam, where IYC members revealed slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on their T-shirts.

The summit, which commenced on February 16, attracted numerous tech leaders, industry figures, and policymakers, leading to crowded halls and long lines.

Protesters donned T-shirts featuring images of Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump, along with slogans opposing the government and the India-U.S. trade agreement.

The demonstrators reportedly clashed with security personnel and police officers present at the event.