Some of the protesters arrested for using pepper spray against the security personnel during a demonstration at India Gate over the issue of pollution had earlier attended a function of the banned Radical Students’ Union in Hyderabad, the Delhi Police told a court on Saturday.
Opposing the bail application of the accused, police said multiple videos have been found on social media, showing the alleged links of the accused students with the Naxalite movement.
"There is video evidence on record that shows that some of the accused attended a conference of the Radical Students' Union (RSU) in Hyderabad on February 21 and 22," Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), New Delhi, Dinesh Mahla submitted before Judicial Magistrate Aridaman Singh Cheema.
"We will need their police custody to confront them with the new evidence, and if let out on bail, they might influence witnesses," he said.
After hearing the submissions, the court asked Delhi police to file a fresh reply and listed the matter for hearing on Monday.
A total of 23 protesters were arrested in two different cases registered at the Parliament Street and Kartavya Path police stations.
On November 27, a court sent four of them to police custody and the remaining 13 to judicial custody in connection with the FIR lodged at the Parliament Street police station.
Of those 13 sent to judicial custody, nine were granted bail on Friday by Judicial Magistrate Sahil Monga, saying their further remand was not required.
However, 15 of the 17 protesters named in the FIR at the Parliament Street police station have been arrested again by police in connection with the case registered at the Kartavya Path police station.