New Delhi: Indian Youth Congress president Udai Bhanu Chib, who was arrested by the Delhi Police on charges of orchestrating the “shirtless” protest during the AI Impact Summit, was granted bail by a duty magistrate of Patiala House Court after a post-midnight hearing at her residence.
Chib was produced before duty magistrate Vanshika Mehta around 12.30 am after expiry of his 4 days of police custody. She granted bail on furnishing a bail bond of Rs. 50000, including other conditions. The police had sought an extension of the custody remand of Chib for 7 days. However, the court refused to extend the custody, as reported by ANI.
“Delhi Police Crime Branch had moved an application for extension of PC remand of national president of the Youth Congress Uday Bhanu Chib. They have sought a seven-day extension of the PC remand, and also moved two applications for remand of one of the accused for five days and the other for two days. Counsel for accused had also moved an application praying for the grant of bail,
” Chib’s counsel Mohammad Sulaiman Khan told the news agency.
“After hearing the counsel for accused and Delhi Police, duty magistrate granted bail to Uday Bhanu Chib, and has explained in the bail order that the Police Crime Branch has not been able to explain the reasons for seeking extension of police custody … Certain conditions have been imposed that he has to surrender his passport and electronic gadgets before the Court, and he has to produce one surety of Rs 50,000 before the Court,” Khan added.
This was not a fresh arrest of Chib. He had already been in police custody for four days, advocate Bhadauria said.
“We received a message at 12 midnight stating that he would be produced before the duty magistrate around 6 am. Thankfully, we at least received a message for him, because we didn’t even receive a message about the others. Then, at 12.30, we received a call saying he will be produced at 1 am. We arrived in a panic. His hearing began at 1.30 am,” Bhadauria said.
The Patiala House Court recorded that the case diary of the Delhi Police shows that Chib was not physically present at the spot while reminding him to four days in police custody on February 24. He allegedly directed the protest and was in contact with other accused persons during the execution of the protest.
“The investigating agency will have to rationalise the requirement for custody,” the court had said in its order.