New Delhi: A Delhi court has remanded six individuals to three-day police custody following a violent protest at India Gate on Sunday, November 23, 2025. The protest, initially focused on addressing the city's severe air pollution, took a turn when clashes erupted between demonstrators and law enforcement.

According to police reports, the situation escalated when protesters allegedly attacked officers with pepper spray, resulting in injuries to at least ten personnel. The police have also alleged that the protesters were raising pro-Naxal slogans and are investigating potential links to Naxalite groups.

DCP (New Delhi) Devesh Mahla, while appearing before Judicial Magistrate First Class Aridaman Singh Cheema of Patiala House Courts, sought seven days of police custody for the accused. He stated that the protesters were allegedly chanting slogans in support of Madvi Hidma, a deceased Maoist commander who was allegedly responsible for killing 76 CRPF personnel. The police also informed the court that the accused had previously blocked Man Singh Road on November 9 and that this was not their first involvement in such activities.

The six individuals remanded to police custody until November 29 are Ahan Arun Upadhyay, Akshay ER, Vishnu Tiwari, Prakash Raj Gupta, Sameer Faiyaz, and Akash. The Delhi Police had requested seven days of custody to confront the accused with each other in order to uncover the entire conspiracy, trace funding sources, and identify the protest's mastermind.

DCP Mahla defended the police action in court, referencing a viral photograph of a protester being pinned down. He clarified that the individual, Akshay ER, was restrained after allegedly using chili spray on police personnel. He also stated that the protesters were allegedly raising slogans in support of groups designated as terrorist or Naxalite organizations on the Ministry of Home Affairs website.

In addition to the charges related to the alleged assault and obstruction of public servants, the First Information Reports (FIRs) include charges of outraging the modesty of women. Section 197 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has also been added to the FIR, corresponding to Section 153B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which penalizes offenses against national integration and carries a jail term of up to three years.

The prosecution argued that the Radical Students Union (RSU), a banned organization, was a frontal organization and that the accused had praised them on social media. The police stated that they require time for the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) analysis of seized mobile phones.

While 17 protesters were arrested in connection to the FIR lodged at Parliament Street police station, six were arrested in the case registered at Kartavya Path police station. At least seven Delhi University students are among those named in the FIR, with six reportedly associated with the Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch (BSCEM).

The accused have alleged torture in police custody and have filed bail applications, which will be heard after three days.