New Delhi, February 24 The Delhi Police has arrested Uday Bhanu Chib, the president of the Indian Youth Congress, as the "main conspirator" and "mastermind" of the protest staged by a group of youth wing members at the AI Impact Summit here last week, officials said on Tuesday.
The arrest memo states that Chib is the main conspirator and mastermind of the unlawful assembly at the Bharat Mandapam, where the protesters raised "anti-national slogans" and attempted to create a "riot-like situation".
A Delhi court has ordered Chib to be held in police custody for four days.
The police have also increased security across key locations in the capital in anticipation of possible protests following Chib's arrest, bringing the total number of people arrested in the case to eight.
The police had earlier arrested seven members of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), including three from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, identified as Jitendra Yadav, Raj Gujjar, and Ajay Kumar.
In addition, Ritik alias Monty Shukla, the general secretary of IYC in Uttar Pradesh, has been detained from Lalitpur in the state.
Senior officers have deployed additional forces at sensitive locations, particularly in New Delhi, a hotspot for political demonstrations.
Security has been tightened around the Tilak Marg police station, where Chib was held, while barricades have been set up at strategic locations, with anti-riot teams on standby.
Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) and additional companies of paramilitary forces have also been placed on alert to respond to any law and order situation, the police said.
"Our priority is to maintain public order and ensure that daily life is not disrupted. Preventive measures may be invoked if any group attempts to assemble without permission," a senior officer said.
According to the police, additional sections under the BNS, including 196 (promoting enmity between different groups and acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony) and 197 (assertions prejudicial to national integration), have been invoked in the FIR. Both carry a jail term of up to three years.
According to his arrest memo, Chib has been booked under sections 61(2), 121(1), 132, 195(1), 221, 223(A), 190, 196, 197, 191, 192 and 3(5) of the BNS, which pertain to criminal conspiracy, deterring public servants from duty, unlawful assembly, promoting enmity between groups, etc.
On Friday, a group of IYC members staged a dramatic protest inside Hall No. 5 of the summit venue by removing their shirts to reveal T-shirts printed with slogans against the government and the India-US interim trade deal, before being taken away by security personnel.
The police said that the accused had registered online and obtained QR codes to gain entry into the venue.
The incident triggered a political slugfest, with the BJP calling it a "shameful act to tarnish India's image on the global stage", and the IYC defending it as a "peaceful" demonstration aimed at safeguarding national interests.
A senior police officer said that the role of each accused is being examined, and more arrests may follow.
"We are analysing CCTV footage, digital evidence and entry records to establish the sequence of events and identify the others involved in planning and executing the protest," the officer said.
Another senior officer said that investigators are probing a possible conspiracy angle and tracking the financial trail behind the protest, including funding for printing the slogans on the T-shirts.
"We are examining whether there was any coordinated effort and how the logistics were arranged," the officer said.
