Delhi court grants bail to 17 arrested after protest

A Delhi court granted bail on Monday to 17 people arrested after a protest in central Delhi, setting bonds of Rs 15,000 and requiring a surety for the same amount from each. The court described the allegations against the protesters as serious but said they were young and did not appear to be habitual offenders. The bail order does not resolve the allegations against either the protesters or police. The protesters had gathered outside Parliament Street Police Station. Reports described the demonstration as demanding that police register a case against a police officer accused of molesting a woman journalist during an earlier protest over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Another account said demonstrators were also seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The accounts do not establish that these demands were mutually exclusive. Police alleged that the group formed an unlawful assembly, obstructed a public space despite prohibitory orders, and manhandled officers during detention. They also alleged that protesters damaged the window and rear glass of a bus used to detain them.