New Delhi: A court at Delhi’s Patiala Hous Saturday ordered the release of Siddharth Avdhoot in connection with the shirtless protest during the AI Impact Summit and later issued an order for his release from prison.
Avdhoot was granted bail March 5 after spending 9 days in police custody. He was arrested by the Delhi Police from a resort in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, in connection with the case.
According to the Delhi Police, Avdhoot played a key role in the protest, allegedly designing the T-shirts worn by demonstrators and arranging their printing for the event.
During the hearing, Delhi Police produced the accused before the court and sought 14 days’ judicial custody. However, Duty Magistrate Charan Salwan granted bail to Avdhoot after considering submissions from both sides.
The court allowed bail on a bond of Rs 50,000, with a surety bond of the same amount.
Advocates Nandita Rao, Roopesh Singh Bhadauria, Chitwan Godara, Sumit Rawat, and Rishabh appeared before the court on behalf of the accused and argued in favour of granting bail.
The defence counsel submitted that Avdhoot’s role in the alleged protest was not as serious as that of other accused persons in the case.
They pointed out that at least 10 other accused individuals were involved, and some had allegedly more serious roles than Avdhoot.
The defence argued that he should be granted bail on the grounds of parity, since the court had already granted relief to other co-accused in the case.
Delhi Police, represented by Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Atul Shrivastava, opposed the bail plea. The prosecution told the court that the accused’s earlier bail application had already been rejected and the present request should not be allowed.
The defence counsel countered the prosecution’s arguments and said that the circumstances in the case had changed. They told the court that several co-accused had already been granted bail and that the investigation into Avdhoot had been completed.
The defence submitted that the accused was not a flight risk and should be granted bail. According to the defence lawyers, Avdhoot is a resident of Delhi and has strong roots in society.
APP Atul Shrivastava opposed the submissions again, arguing that the accused should not be granted bail merely on the ground of parity. He told the court that serious allegations had been made against Avdhoot in the case.
The prosecution alleged that the accused had designed the T-shirts used during the protest and arranged for them to be printed through other individuals involved in the plan.
Delhi Police informed the court that two other accused persons in the case were still absconding. According to the prosecution, Avdhoot played a major role in organising the protest.
Police told the court that the accused had allegedly visited Bharat Mandapam February 17 to conduct a reconnaissance of the venue. During this visit, he allegedly identified the location of the protest, specifically the area near the Google stall at the event venue.
The police argued that the protest had been planned in a manner that could damage the country’s international reputation, as it occurred during a high-profile global event.
The defence opposed these claims, arguing that the allegations against Avdhoot were limited mainly to arranging the printing of the T-shirts used during the protest.
The defence pointed out that the offences alleged in the case carry a maximum punishment of up to five years, and the accused deserved bail.
After hearing detailed arguments from both the prosecution and the defence, the court granted bail to Siddharth Avdhoot and ordered his release from prison.