A city court in Noida on Thursday granted conditional police remand of three women — Aakriti Chaudhary, Manisha Chauhan, and Srishti Gupta — who are accused of inciting violence during an industrial workers' protest on April 13. The court also permitted their lawyers to be present during the investigation proceedings.
Court Ruling and Custody Details
The court of Additional Civil Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Virek Aggrawal ruled that the police custody period would commence at 9 am on April 24 and continue until 6 pm on April 26. The judge issued specific directives to ensure the accused are treated fairly during custody. The investigating officer must arrange for a medical examination of the accused at the time of taking them into police custody from the jail and again upon their return to the prison. The judge emphasized that the investigating officer shall not subject the accused to mental or physical harassment. Furthermore, the counsel for the accused may observe the investigation proceedings from a reasonable distance without obstructing the process. A copy of the order was directed to be sent to the superintendent of the district jail and the investigating officer of the case.
Defense Arguments and Court Observations
Rajnish Yadav, the defense counsel, urged the court during proceedings to also allow a woman family member to observe the investigation from a distance, in addition to the lawyer. Earlier, on Wednesday, the counsel for Srishti Gupta objected to the police custody, arguing that there was no evidence to support it and that no new evidence had emerged against her. However, the judge observed that the evidence collected by the investigating officer and the statements given by the accused indicated that they prima facie possessed items, such as mobile phones, that were used in the incident under investigation. The judge concluded that granting police custody remand appeared justified under these circumstances.
Background of the Accused
Aakriti Chaudhary and Srishti Gupta are both from Delhi and are in their 20s. Aakriti holds a master's degree in history from Daulat Ram College. Manisha Chauhan is a worker at an industrial unit in Noida.
Police Application for Custody
In the application for custody, the police contended that there was a strong possibility of obtaining important evidence from the places of residence of the accused. The police argued that significant evidence related to the incident could be found there, and items or materials recovered at the accused's pointing out might be crucial for the case. However, they warned that such evidence could be destroyed or removed over time, potentially destroying crucial evidence. The police requested 10 days of custody.
Bail Applications and Other Hearings
Bail applications for Srishti Gupta and Aakriti Chaudhary were taken up by the Special SC/ST Court and are scheduled for hearing on April 27. Hearings seeking police remand of other key accused in the case were also held, but details of the order were not available at the time of writing this report.
