A court at Patiala House Court ordered the release of shirt designer Siddharth Avdhoot in connection with the protest held during the AI Impact Summit. The directive came after the accused secured bail earlier this week.
Authorities from the Delhi Police had arrested Avdhoot from a resort in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Investigators alleged that he played a central role in organising the demonstration.
Police claimed he designed the T-shirts worn by protestors and coordinated their printing before the event.
The accused spent nine days in police custody before the court granted bail on March 5.
During the hearing, officers produced Avdhoot before the Duty Magistrate, Charan Salwan, and sought a 14-day judicial custody.
After reviewing the arguments from both sides, the court denied the request and set bail. The court approved bail on a bond of ₹50,000 along with a surety of the same value.
Advocates Nandita Rao, Roopesh Singh Bhadauria, Chitwan Godara, Sumit Rawat and Rishabh represented the accused and argued that Avdhoot’s role was comparatively minor.
Defence lawyers informed the court that at least ten individuals faced accusations in the matter.
They argued that several co-accused held more serious roles than Avdhoot. They also highlighted that some had already received bail.
The defence, therefore, requested similar relief on grounds of parity.
Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava opposed the plea. He stated that the accused’s earlier bail request had been rejected and urged the court not to grant relief. The defence responded that circumstances had changed.
Lawyers noted that investigators had completed the inquiry involving Avdhoot. They also stressed that he lives in Delhi and maintains strong local ties, making him unlikely to flee.
Police further alleged that Avdhoot visited Bharat Mandapam on February 17 to survey the venue.
Officers claimed he identified a location near a technology stall as the protest site.
After hearing extensive submissions, the court granted bail and ordered Avdhoot’s release from custody.
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