'Shirtless' protest row: Youth Congress chief Uday Bhanu Chib granted bail

NEW DELHI: Indian Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib was granted bail on Saturday after he was arrested in connection to shirtless protest at Bharat Mandapam during the AI summit.

Advocate Sulaiman Mohammad Khan said that a Duty Magistrate granted bail to Chib after Delhi Crime Branch was unable to produce any solid reasons to seek the police custody of the IYC National President.




"We have also moved an application praying for the grant of bail to the National President, Uday Bhanu Chib. The Duty Magistrate was pleased enough to grant bail to Uday Bhanu Chib and has explained in the bail order we have just read that the Police Crime Branch has not been able to explain the reasons for seeking extension of PC remand to Uday Bhanu Chib," Khan said.

"Delhi Police Crime Branch has moved an application for extension of PC remand of National President of 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..." he added.

Khan also added that 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.

Advocate Roopesh Singh Bhadauria highlighted that Chib was in the police custody for four days. He was initially expected to be produced before the Duty Magistrate at 6 am, but the hearing was held earlier, at 1:30 am.

"This was not a fresh arrest of Uday Bhanu Chib. He had already been in the PC for four days. 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 would be produced at 1 am. We arrived in a panic. His hearing began at 1:30..." he said.

According to Delhi Police, Chib was the "main conspirator and mastermind" behind the February 20 protest at Bharat Mandapam. They say anti-national slogans were raised and an attempt was made to create a riot-like situation. Police claimed that, in conspiracy with Shree Krishna Hari, Kundan Yadav, Narsimha Yadav, Ajay Kumar Yadav, and others, he obstructed and assaulted police officials on duty.

At the AI Impact Summit on Feb 20, several men allegedly entered the venue wearing T-shirts bearing images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, along with slogans against the government and the India-US trade deal.
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