Six students arrested during a protest against air pollution at India Gate of Delhi on 23 November have been granted bail by the Patiala House Court in Delhi after spending nearly a month in custody. The court delivered its verdict on 26 December.
The students granted bail include Ilakkia, Aiyashah Wafiya Midhath, Ravjot Kaur, Gurkirat Kaur, Abhinash Satapathy, and Kranti alias Priyanshu. All are affiliated with Delhi University and other educational institutions.
The court ordered a ₹50,000 bond for each student and required a surety. Additional conditions include cooperating with the investigation, appearing in court when summoned, and not leaving the country without permission.
The protest was held against the rising air pollution levels in the Delhi-NCR region, with demonstrators demanding immediate government action. The police claimed that some protesters used paper spray and raised controversial slogans. Following the protest, two FIRs were filed, leading to the arrest of a total of 23 people.
According to the police, some participants disrupted law and order, raised Naxalite slogans, and allegedly had links to banned organizations.
The court noted that the prosecution failed to prove any connection between the accused and banned organizations. It deemed it unjustified to continue detention without concrete evidence. So far, 22 of the 23 accused have been granted bail.
Supporters of the students describe the protest as peaceful and consider the detention unjust, while the government maintains that maintaining law and order is a primary duty.
This decision is being viewed as a judicial balance between pollution-related activism and the freedom of expression of youth in Delhi.
