A court here on Sunday sent two members of 'Pinjra Tod' who were arrested in connection with their alleged role in an anti-CAA protest in east Delhi's Jafrabad area to police custody for two days.
Devangana and Natasha, students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, had allegedly participated in an anti-CAA sit-in in Jafrabad in February, which had prompted a pro-citizenship law rally by BJP's Kapil Mishra and a day later, clashes in the area.
The duo were arrested after to two hours of interrogation at their homes on May 23 for offences under Indian Penal Code's Sections 109 (Punishment for abetment), 186 (Obstructing public servant), 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 353 (Assault) and 34 (Common intention).
Thereafter, the duo was produced before the Duty Magistrate Ajeet Narayan which granted them bail under FIR 48/2020 holding that "the accused were merely protesting against NRC and CAA and did not indulge in any violence".
However, the moment the magistrate observed orally that he was going to grant bail, police officials moved an application seeking arrest of Devangana and Natasha under another FIR 50/2020 and police custody for 14 days. The court, however, gave police their custody for only two days.
"Considering the facts and circumstances of the case and the initial stage of investigation, both the accused remanded to two days police custody. Accused to be produced to concerned court on May 26," the court noted.
The lawyers for Devangana and Natasha argued for their release, while opposing the application of the investigating agency.
Her counsel had sought bail in the earlier FIRs contending that the offences under which they were arrested were bailable, except Section 353. They added that despite almost 90 days having elapsed since the date of registration of the FIR, the local police decided to arrest Devangana and Natasha without even a notice under section 41A.
Several students and activists have been arrested by the Delhi Police in the last one month for their involvement in anti-CAA protests and alleged conspiracy in Delhi riots.
( With inputs from IANS )