Kolkata, July 29: A Kolkata court has granted bail to 16 individuals arrested during a recent protest organized by leftist student groups. The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s court issued the bail on a bond of ₹500.
The defense attorneys cited a Supreme Court ruling that discouraged strict actions against those involved in protests. Despite the lack of clear directives from states like Delhi or Bihar, government lawyers did not oppose the bail application, leading to the release of all 16 detainees.
The accused were presented in court on July 24, following disturbances during the rally. Initially, government lawyers contested the bail request, seeking judicial custody. However, the magistrate ordered their detention until July 30.
During the afternoon hearing, the defense raised the issue of a central government agreement. They claimed that the Ministry of Home Affairs decided to withdraw cases related to the NEET movement across India, citing examples from Bihar and Assam. Due to the absence of clear guidelines from these states, the magistrate allowed further discussion on the matter for Wednesday.
Later, after receiving a copy of the Supreme Court ruling, the lawyers requested a re-hearing on the same day. The magistrate accepted the request, and the hearing resumed.
Defense attorneys for accused individuals Yaseen Rahman, Raja Sen, and Prashant Bagchi argued that the Supreme Court had prohibited strict actions against those arrested during protests.
The magistrate inquired about the criminal history of the accused, noting that the Supreme Court had indicated that strict actions could be taken against individuals with prior offenses. The investigating officer revealed that five of the sixteen had criminal records. When asked if these five had been convicted in their previous cases, no clear answer was provided, prompting the magistrate to grant bail to all 16.
On July 24, several leftist student organizations, including the SFI, protested against the NEET-UG question paper leak. The demonstration included a march from Sealdah to Esplanade, accompanied by sit-in protests.
Allegations of violence arose, with reports of controversial posters, placards, and anti-national slogans displayed. Several journalists faced attacks during the coverage of the event. The police arrested 16 individuals in connection with the disturbances.
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