New Delhi’s Patiala House Court has extended police custody for five Youth Congress workers arrested in connection with a disruptive protest at the India AI Impact Summit. The decision came amid ongoing investigations into the ‘shirtless protest’ that drew widespread condemnation.
The court granted an additional four days of custody to Krishna Hari, Kundan Yadav, Ajay Kumar, Narsimha Yadav, and Jitendra Yadav. Four were nabbed from Delhi, while one was picked up from Gwalior. They are scheduled to reappear in court on March 1.
Delhi Police argued for the extension, citing the need for further interrogations. Initial five-day custody had yielded leads, including the arrest of Uday Bhanu Chib and transit remand for a key conspirator. Police emphasized confronting the accused with these individuals to unravel the plot.
Investigators revealed that Siddharth, who printed and designed the protest T-shirts, was apprehended in Himachal Pradesh. Efforts are underway to bring him to Delhi for face-to-face questioning. Meanwhile, Ramesh Agarwal, who sought anticipatory bail, admitted to printing one lakh T-shirts purchased in the name of Indian Youth Congress.
The defense opposed the custody extension, but the court sided with police needs. The protest at Bharat Mandapam during the high-profile AI summit targeted government policies, featuring activists stripping to shirts to highlight grievances. BJP and NDA allies slammed the stunt as immature, while Congress leaders rallied to defend the youth.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge condemned the arrests, calling the demonstrations thoughtful and in national interest. ‘These were not serious crimes but expressions of youth concerns,’ he stated, urging leniency. The controversy underscores deepening political divides ahead of key electoral battles.