'Irreparable Prejudice': Delhi Court Asks Police to Supply FIR Copy to Arrested Youth Congress Chief

New Delhi: A Delhi court has held that Uday Bhanu Chib, who is head of the Congress party's youth wing and was made an accused in a case registered over a peaceful protest at the AI Summit in the national capital, is entitled to a copy of the first information report against him.

Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Ravi of the Patiala House Courts has directed police to supply an FIR copy to Chib, Bar and Bench has reported. Police, on the other hand, claimed that the FIR was "sensitive in nature" and opposed giving Chib a copy.

The court was unconvinced.

"...[I]t does not qualify as sensitive; IO's [Investigating Officer's] claim is untenable. Denial of FIR copy violates statutory mandate u/s 230 BNSS and constitutional safeguards under Article 21 (fair procedure) and Article 22 (prompt information on arrest grounds). Applicant cannot prepare bail/defence without foundational document, causing irreparable prejudice. Supply poses no investigation risk, especially post-transfer to Crime Branch," the court said, according to the report.

The nature of offences must be examined by a court, Judge Ravi added.

Chib will be in police custody for four days. He is one of eight people arrested in the case.

Members of the Indian Youth Congress had protested without shirts at the India AI Impact Summit on February 20. Some of the protesters wore T-shirts with slogans that said “PM is compromised”.

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