Delhi’s Patiala House Court on Tuesday granted four days of police custody remand to Indian Youth Congress (IYC) president Uday Bhanu Chib in connection with the protest held during the AI Impact Summit
2026 at Bharat Mandapam, after hearing arguments from both the Delhi Police and the defence.
The order came after the court reserved its decision earlier in the day on a police plea seeking seven days of custodial interrogation.
The Delhi Police told the court that Chib played a central role in organising the protest and alleged that he had “hatched the conspiracy” and provided logistical support to the demonstrators.
The prosecution argued that extended custody was required to confront him with other accused persons and to investigate what it described as a larger conspiracy behind the incident.
Police further informed the court that several accused individuals linked to the case are currently located in Jammu, Amethi and Himachal Pradesh, and that custodial interrogation was necessary to establish coordination among those involved.
The case, police said, pertains to unlawful assembly and criminal conspiracy, alleging that Chib directed other accused during the protest.
Opposing the plea, Chib’s counsel argued that police custody should not be granted mechanically.
The defence submitted that the Youth Congress leader had cooperated with investigators and had already joined the investigation twice.
The defence also claimed that Chib denied knowledge about where the T-shirts used during the protest were printed and argued that further questioning had not yielded additional information.
The counsel maintained that investigators could obtain any required details without taking him into custody.
Delhi Police, however, countered that the investigation was not limited to the printing of T-shirts, asserting that bulk printing and coordinated planning formed part of an organised conspiracy.
Chib was arrested in connection with the protest staged by Indian Youth Congress members at Bharat Mandapam during the AI Impact Summit 2026.
A row erupted after a group of protesters removed their shirts displaying slogans reading “compromised PM,” while raising objections to policies of the central government.
Chib was booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including provisions related to criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, assault or obstruction of public servants, disobedience of lawful orders, imputations prejudicial to national integration, and offences committed with common intention.
The grounds of arrest state that Chib was allegedly the “main conspirator and mastermind” behind the unlawful assembly held on February 20 at Bharat Mandapam.
The arrest memo further alleges that anti-national slogans were raised and that the protest attempted to create a riot-like situation.
Police have also claimed that Chib, along with others, obstructed and assaulted police personnel performing official duties and did not fully cooperate during interrogation, including failing to disclose the identities of certain co-accused persons.
