New Delhi | The Delhi Police on Thursday told a court here that a few protesters, arrested on charges of assaulting police personnel during a demonstration at the India Gate over pollution, made a mockery of the law and hid their identities.

The submissions were made before Judicial Magistrate Sahil Monga in a case involving 17 students who were arrested on November 23.

Judicial Magistrate Monga on Thursday sent four students to two days' police custody and

13 others to one-day judicial custody in the case registered at Sansad Marg police station for various offences under BNS, including assault or criminal force to deter a public servant, obstructing a public servant, and conspiracy to commit offences against the State.

“It is very astounding that most of the accused persons before the court furnished incorrect addresses. The information sheet of most accused persons has been received back unverified by the local police. This proves that the accused persons are not only making a mockery of the law but also deliberately hiding their identity,” the Delhi Police submitted in the court.

Out of 17 accused, the police sought five-day custody of five saying they need time to investigate their support for the Naxals and banned organisations in order to unearth the alleged deep-rooted conspiracy.

The court, however, permitted the police to interrogate four students, Gurkirat, Ravjot, Kranti, and Abhinash, for two days, while sent the other 13 to one-day judicial custody.

The police also submitted in the court that on November 23, some of the students gathered at the gate of Parliament Street police station and started ‘aggressive sloganeering’ against the Indian government and restricted the entrance and exit gate of the police station.

“When police staff tried to control and remove the protestors from the gate of police station, they started scuffling with the police and attacked the police staff in which seven police personnel also got injured, who were medically examined,” the police said.

Opposing the custodial interrogation of the accused students, the defense counsel argued that the police failed to show any evidence against their clients and they cannot be sent to custody just because police failed to verify their addresses.

“What do they want to investigate? Investigation can be done without custody. The accused cannot be put in custody just because their address could not be verified by the police,” the defence counsel said.

Earlier on November 24, the Delhi court sent all 17 protesters to three days judicial custody noting that they raised slogans hailing slain Maoist leader Madvi Hidma.

On November 23, a total of 23 students, including 11 women students, were arrested after two FIRs were registered at Kartavya Path and Parliament Street police stations. The arrested students were produced before two judicial magistrates at the Patiala House Court on November 24.