In a significant development, a Delhi court on Wednesday excused several leaders of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) from personal appearance for a case concerning an unauthorized protest held last year. The protest took place in front of the Election Commission of India, violating the imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Mittal granted the exemption to notable TMC figures such as Derek O’Brien, Sagarika Ghose, Saket Gokhle, and five others including Santanu Sen, Dola Sen, Nadimul Haque, Arpita Ghosh, Abir Ranjan Biswas, and Sudip Raha, following an application by their legal representative.
The proceedings noted the presence of TMC leader Vivek Gupta, who was instructed to appear at the next hearing on May 13 to file a bail bond. In an additional turn, the court reissued summons to Santanu Sen after previous attempts to serve him were unsuccessful.
The case stems from an incident on April 8, 2024, when these TMC leaders and a group of functionaries assembled outside the Election Commission despite explicit prohibitory orders. The group displayed placards and banners, protesting against the chiefs of central probe agencies like the CBI, NIA, ED, and the Income Tax Department, advocating for their replacement.
Delhi Police had charged the group after they allegedly ignored warnings about the legal restrictions in place and continued their demonstration. The FIR accuses them of defying the ban on gatherings under Section 144, asserting that the protest was aimed at pressuring the Election Commission following a meeting with its full bench.
