New Delhi, Feb 24: Delhi Police has arrested Indian Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib as the “main conspirator” and “mastermind” of the shirtless protest staged by a group of youth wing members at the AI Impact Summit here last week, officials said on Tuesday.
The arrest memo of Chib terms him the main conspirator and mastermind of the unlawful assembly at the Bharat Mandapam, where the protesters raised “anti-national slogans” and tried to incite a “riot-like situation”.
A Delhi court has sent Chib to four-day police custody.
Police have also stepped up security across key locations in the capital in anticipation of possible protests following Chib’s arrest, which took the total number of people held in the case to eight.
Police had earlier arrested seven Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers, including three from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, identified as Jitendra Yadav, Raj Gujjar and Ajay Kumar.
In addition, IYC’s Uttar Pradesh general secretary Ritik alias Monty Shukla has been detained from Lalitpur in the state.
Senior officers said additional force has been deployed at the sensitive points, particularly in New Delhi, a hotspot for political demonstrations.
Security has been tightened around the Tilak Marg police station, where Chib was held, while barricades have been put up at the strategic points, with anti-riot teams on standby.
Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) and additional companies of paramilitary forces have also been placed on alert to respond to any law and order situation, police said.
“Our priority is to maintain public order and ensure that daily life is not disrupted. Preventive measures may be invoked if any group attempts to assemble without permission,” a senior officer said.
According to police, additional sections under the BNS, including 196 (promoting enmity between different groups and acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 197 (assertions prejudicial to national integration), have been invoked in the FIR. Both carry a jail term of up to three years.
According to his arrest memo, Chib has been booked under sections 61(2), 121(1), 132, 195(1), 221, 223(A), 190, 196, 197, 191, 192 and 3(5) of the BNS, which pertain to criminal conspiracy, detering public servants from duty, unlawful assembly, promoting enmity between groups, etc.
On Friday, a group of IYC workers staged a dramatic protest inside Hall No. 5 of the summit venue by removing their shirts to reveal T-shirts printed with slogans against the government and the India-US interim trade deal, before being whisked away by security personnel.
Police said the accused had registered online and obtained QR codes to gain entry into the venue.
The incident triggered a political slugfest, with the BJP calling it a “shameful act to tarnish India’s image on the global stage”, and the IYC defending it as a “peaceful” demonstration aimed at safeguarding national interests.
A senior police officer said the role of each accused is being examined, and more arrests may follow.
“We are analysing CCTV footage, digital evidence and entry records to establish the sequence of events and identify the others involved in planning and executing the protest,” the officer said.
Another senior officer said investigators are probing a possible conspiracy angle and tracking the financial trail behind the protest, including funding for printing the slogans on the T-shirts.
“We are examining whether there was any coordinated effort and how the logistics were arranged,” the officer said. (PTI)
