Noida: An additional sessions court denied bail to Delhi-based PhD scholar and theatre artist Aakriti Choudhary, who was arrested for allegedly orchestrating the April 13 industrial workers’ unrest that turned violent, observing that evidence available in the case diary indicates her prima facie involvement.“The incident is of a serious nature, involving gang violence and law and order in the industrial area. In such circumstances, by granting bail, the chances of the applicant potentially influencing witnesses and sending a negative message to society cannot be ruled out. The grounds for releasing the applicant on bail are insufficient,” the court held.Choudhary, who is from Bihar and a former student of Daulat Ram College in Delhi, has also been charged under provisions of National Security Act along with co-accused Satyam Verma, a Lucknow-based scholar. Her name was included in three FIRs registered in connection with April 13 violence, and her bail applications in all cases have now been rejected.On Monday, the court was hearing FIR number 164 filed under BNS sections 109(1) (attempt to murder), 191(1)(2)(3) (rioting and armed rioting), 121(2) (causing grievous hurt to deter a public servant), 132 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant), 333 (house-trespass to commit an offence), 125 (act endangering life or personal safety), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 127(2) (wrongful confinement), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), 352 (intentional insult or provocation), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), and provisions of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and section 7 of Criminal Law Amendment Act at Phase-II police on April 14, a day after the violence.While the original FIR was based on a complaint filed by the HR manager of Motherson against 450-500 unknown people for vandalism, arson and violence targeting company guards and policemen, police had later added names of several activists, including Choudhary, Verma, Manisha Chouhan, Shrishti Gupta, Aditya Anand, Rupesh Roy and Himanshu Thakur and named them as key conspirators.Except for Aditya Anand, who is yet to file a bail plea, applications of all six key accused have been rejected by the court.Choudhary was detained by plainclothes officers at Botanical Garden Metro Station on April 11, two days before the protest, after she had attended an earlier demonstration in solidarity with workers and to advocate for a peaceful strike. The detention was captured on CCTV cameras at Botanical Garden metro station and circulated on social media.Her counsel told the court that the DU student was sent to jail from Sector 39 police station on charges of disturbing peace in the city even before the FIR number 164 was filed. “The applicant (Choudhary) was arrested by the police on April 11 from Botanical Garden metro station and was sent to jail the next day. The police summoned her on a B warrant on April 17 in the case, whereas the incident of crime has been shown as dated April 13, from which it is clear that the applicant has been falsely implicated,” the counsel argued.He also pointed out that Choudhary is a bright student, having passed Class 10 with 95% marks and Class 12 with 97% marks, and after completing her MA in modern history, she qualified for the National Eligibility Test (NET) and is currently preparing for research.Assistant district govt advocate (criminal) objected to the bail application and said Choudhary was accused of criminal conspiracy armed with deadly weapons, committing a riot, using criminal force, breaking the gate of the plaintiff company and entering the company premises, assaulting the plaintiff company’s employees and police personnel with intent to murder, wrongfully confining them, deterring public servants and police personnel from performing their duties, breaking CCTV cameras, glass and railings installed on the company premises, disturbing public peace, endangering the lives of others, blocking roads, and damaging vehicles belonging to the company, the public and the police by setting them on fire.The prosecution also submitted that in their statements, some of the eyewitnesses identified Choudhary in video footage that showed money was being distributed among agitating workers to intensify the protests. After hearing both sides, first additional sessions judge-1 Sunil Kumar found there was “insufficient ground” to grant her bail under the circumstances.
