New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday heard bail arguments of four more accused in the Turkman Gate stone-pelting case. The court also reserved its order on the bail pleas of seven accused in the case. Additional sessions judge Bhupinder Singh heard submissions on behalf of accused Kaif, Kashif, Sameer and Ubaidullah, while the remaining bail arguments are scheduled to be heard on Monday.
The defence argued that no further custodial interrogation was required and that the investigation could proceed based on digital evidence. Opposing the pleas, the prosecution cited pending MLC reports due to the chief medical officer’s absence, with additional public prosecutor Atul Shrivastav submitting that the accused’s continued presence was therefore necessary. Defence counsel relied on multiple video clips to challenge the prosecution. For Kaif and Kashif, the defence submitted CCTV footage purportedly showing Kaif at home from 7pm on Jan 6 till 3am the following day, contradicting the investigating officer’s claim that the brothers were apprehended at 2.30am. The counsel argued that the two were forced to step out of their house — located close to the site of the alleged violence — only after tear gas entered their residence. For Sameer, the defence argued that his presence was natural as his residence is only 500–700 metres from the site, relying on CCTV footage showing him standing near his house between 12.09am and 1am before returning indoors, to assert his non-participation in the violence. For accused Ubaidullah, the defence submitted that he had stepped out only to purchase medicines from a nearby market with his house located nearby. The counsel also questioned the prosecution’s reply that Ubaidullah was “apprehended behind Delight Cinema”, asserting instead that he had voluntarily gone to the police station, to inquire about his father, who had initially been detained.
