The Delhi High Court on Monday stayed a sessions court order that had put on hold the bail granted to Indian Youth Congress chief Uday Bhanu Chib in connection with a protest at the India AI Impact Summit on February 20, Live Law reported.
Justice Saurabh Banerjee said that he was “not satisfied” with the sessions court’s order, adding that it reflected “no application of mind”.
Chib was granted bail by a magisterial court on Saturday. Hours later, a sessions court passed an ex parte order staying the magisterial court’s decision on an appeal made by the Delhi Police.
An ex parte order is one that is passed without hearing the other side.
Chib subsequently moved the High Court.
He was arrested on February 24 in the case linked to the Congress’ youth wing’s protest at the artificial intelligence summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The group had shouted slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi while holding placards, alleging that he was “compromised”.
The Delhi Police, which functions under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, registered a case against the protesters on charges of rioting and promoting enmity between groups. It alleged that the demonstration was an attempt to disrupt the high-profile event.
During the hearing on Monday, Banerjee held that any order affecting the personal liberty of an individual should disclose reasons.
“Some application of mind has to be there,” Live Law quoted Banerjee as saying. “If there is no application of mind, the order has to be stayed.”
The matter has been listed for further hearing on March 6.
Apart from Chib, 13 members of the Indian Youth Congress had been arrested in the case.
On Sunday, nine of them were granted bail. Judicial Magistrate First Class Ravi of Patiala House Court had said that the protest amounted to “political dissent” and not “recidivist violence or organised crime”.
“The protest, at highest, constituted symbolic political critique during a public event,” the court was quoted as having said.
The five-day India AI Impact Summit began on February 16 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. It was promoted as a major gathering on artificial intelligence in the Global South, attended by 20 world leaders, technology executives and exhibitors from 30 countries.
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