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The court said no evidence was found connecting the individuals to Naxalite-related radical organisations.

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A Delhi court on Tuesday granted bail to 10 students who were arrested for allegedly shouting pro-Maoist slogans and assaulting police officers during an anti-pollution protest in the national capital on November 23.

Judicial Magistrate First Class Aridaman Singh Cheema of Patiala House Courts heard bail pleas filed by 12 individuals, mostly Delhi University students, who participated in the protest. Videos of the demonstration and the protesters’ mobile phones were seized by authorities during the investigation. The court said no evidence was found linking the accused to radical Naxalite organizations.

While 10 protesters were granted bail, the petition of one was rejected and another remains pending. More than 20 students had been detained from India Gate, Kartavya Path, and outside the Parliament Street police station following the protest.

Two separate FIRs were registered: one at Kartavya Path against a few participants, and another at Parliament Street against 17 protesters. The complaints initially included charges of assault, obstructing public servants, and outraging the modesty of women. Later, police added charges under sections related to statements prejudicial to national integration.

Some protesters allegedly used pepper spray on police officers, displayed posters, and shouted slogans reportedly supporting Maoist leader Madvi Hidma, killed in a security force operation on November 18. The court denied bail to one individual, citing ongoing investigation into their links with the Radical Students Union (RSU), a banned Maoist organization.

The protest was primarily organized by the environmental collective Himkhand, the student group Bhagat Singh Chatra Ekta Manch, and the discussion forum Scientists for Society, which said it only participated to address pollution issues.

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