Delhi clash: Court grants bail to 14 AAP workers

Magistrate observed that IO had only sought to send accused to judicial custody and did not seek their custodial interrogation

Fourteen Aam Aadmi Party workers who were arrested in connection with clashes with BJP supporters at the latter's national headquarters here were today granted bail by a Delhi court.

Metropolitan Magistrate Akash Jain granted relief to the AAP workers after they were produced before him by Delhi Police, who could not answer in the affirmative about any pendency of criminal cases against them.

The magistrate observed that the investigating officer (IO) had only sought to send the accused to judicial custody and did not seek their custodial interrogation.

"In the course of arguments on the bail applications, IO has failed to disclose pendency of any other criminal cases against the accused persons. Moreover, no custodial interrogation was sought.  And the only prayer was for keeping the accused persons in judicial custody.

"Keeping in view the facts of the case, nature of offences and undertaking given on behalf of accused persons, the application for bail is allowed," the court said.

The 14 AAP workers were given bail against a personal bond of Rs 15,000 "with one surety of like amount each with directions that (they) shall join the investigation and not try to tamper with the evidence".

The AAP workers were booked for offences like rioting, assaulting or obstructing public servants when suppressing riots and deterring them from discharging their duties, causing them hurt (under the IPC), and mischief causing damage to public property under the Prevention of Destruction of Public Property Act.

Police have named AAP leaders Ashutosh and Shazia Ilmi in their FIR, but the duo were not arrested.

Police said that apart from Ashutosh and Ilmi, AAP leaders like Akhilesh Tripathi, Jarnail Singh, Jagdish Singh, Surender Singh (all MLAs) and Professor Anand Kumar gave inflammatory statements to instigate people to vandalise the BJP office.