A Delhi court on Wednesday extended by four days the police custody of five Indian Youth Congress workers arrested over a ‘shirtless’ protest at the AI Impact Summit held at Bharat Mandapam.
Chief Judicial Magistrate Mridul Gupta allowed the extension after hearing submissions from the prosecution and defence. The Delhi Police had sought five additional days of custodial interrogation, contending that the protest was not spontaneous but the result of prior planning and coordination.
According to the police, the initial investigation revealed “structured planning, allocation of roles, concealment tactics and coordinated post-incident movement”. In its remand application, the police stated that the broader conspiracy, including its hierarchy, funding pattern and alleged inter-state coordination, was yet to be fully uncovered.
Those whose custody was extended include Krishna Hari, national secretary of the Youth Congress from Bihar; Kundan Yadav, state general secretary from Bihar; Ajay Kumar Singh, state vice-president of east Uttar Pradesh; and Narasimha Yadav, national coordinator from Telangana. They were arrested following the February 20 protest inside an exhibition hall at the summit venue.
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Jitendra Yadav, another national coordinator of the IYC arrested in Gwalior on February 22, was also produced before the court. His police custody was similarly extended.
The remand papers noted that two alleged “key conspirators”, IYC president Uday Bhanu Chib and Bhudev Sharma, were arrested on Tuesday and remanded in police custody till February 28. Investigators have sought to confront the five accused with the two newly arrested individuals to ascertain the “hierarchy within the conspiracy, distribution of roles, planning meetings, decision-making authority and funding/logistical support”.
Police further informed the court that multiple mobile phones had been seized and preliminary data extraction showed communications among the accused. Detailed forensic analysis, call data record correlation, location mapping and WhatsApp and Telegram group analysis were underway.
The defence opposed the extension, arguing there were “no coherent reasons” for further remand.
So far, nine people have been arrested in connection with the protest. The investigation, recently transferred to the Crime Branch, is continuing.
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