Shirtless protest at AI Summit in Delhi: To track Youth Congress members, police seek videos recorded by media houses

“The footage has been sought to gather further evidence against the protestors: what they planned, number of recess they conducted of the venue… the booths they visited before deciding to stage their protest on February 20,” the source further said.

According to the source, police usually seek video footage from media companies in case it’s a high-profile event. “Usually in case of high-profile events, or the ones covered by the media, we ask for video footage from media companies if a crime takes place. Bharat Mandapam is well covered with CCTV cameras, but they don’t capture every corner. Cameramen from media companies are always moving to multiple corners of a venue, which can provide a more in-depth look at the accused,” the source claimed.

On February 20, a group of men had reached Bharat Mandapam wearing jackets and sweaters. Underneath, they wore T-shirts with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s picture printed on them.

They allegedly removed the jackets and sweaters and started raising anti-national slogans in the presence of international media. It was alleged that police personnel, who tried to stop the protesters, were attacked.
According to the police, the protest was not spontaneous, but executed after prior planning and had a structured allocation of roles, concealment tactics and coordinated post-incident movement.

Police, who have maintained that IYC chief Uday Bhanu Chib was the main conspirator, had also said that the accused tried to “incite a riot-like situation” while obstructing and assaulting police personnel. They claimed that the protest was deliberately held at the summit venue and not at designated protest sites like Jantar Mantar.

In all, 14 people, all members and office-bearers of the IYC, had been arrested in the case. All are now out on bail.