A Delhi court has granted bail to 17 students and journalists who were taken into police custody on Monday and sought a report from Delhi Police on allegations of “custodial torture” levelled by two protesters.

Judicial Magistrate Animesh Kumar of the Patiala House Courts issued four separate bail orders on Monday night. The arrested persons were protesting outside the Parliament Street police station earlier in the day, demanding registration of an FIR against a police officer accused of molesting a woman journalist during a protest in the national capital against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Unlawful assembly

Delhi Police had registered a case against the 17 accused, alleging that they were part of an unlawful assembly, obstructed a public area, roughed up police personnel and caused damage to public property.

Acknowledging the gravity of the allegations, the court pointed out that while any person has the right to protest peacefully, assaulting police officers on duty is a matter of serious concern<NO> which cannot be permitted under the garb of peaceful protest.

In its order, the court said, “It should be noted that allegations against the accused are serious in nature. One police official has allegedly sustained injuries as per the medico-legal case (MLC) produced by the IO.”

It, however, took into account the age of the accused. The judge said the allegations against the accused were “serious” in nature but they were not “habitual offenders”. The counsel for the accused had argued that some of the arrested persons had sustained injuries.

CCTV footage

“However, their medico-legal cases were not conducted immediately after the incident,” the court noted. It added, “Since the accused Dharmender and Samarth have levelled allegations regarding custodial torture, let a report be called from DCP New Delhi regarding the same. The relevant CCTV footage of the Parliament Street police station be preserved.”

The judge cited that their careers were still ahead of them and, hence, bail was justified on the facts of the case.

The police had sought 14 days of judicial custody for the arrested persons. It also argued that they might commit further offences or tamper with the investigation.

The Madurai district authorities on Tuesday (June 16, 2026) took the body of Akash Delison, 26, who died on March 8 allegedly due to custodial torture by the Manamadurai police, to the Thathaneri cremation yard, after his family members refused to receive his body.

Amid tight security, the body was transported from the mortuary of Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai, as family members, along with their supporters, staged a protest against the attempt to take the body. The move comes after the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the officials to take immediate steps for a dignified disposal of his mortal remains.

The family members said that they would go on appeal against the court order and sought more time for cremation. However, the officials told them that they would implement the court’s direction.

As tension mounted, 14 persons were taken into custody for trying to prevent the officials from shifting the body. However, the parents, sister, and uncle of Akash Delison were taken to Thathaneri cremation yard, where the body would be cremated.