A Delhi court has prolonged the police custody of five Youth Congress members arrested for their involvement in a shirtless protest at the India AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam. The accused, namely Krishna Hari, Kundan Yadav, Ajay Kumar, Narasimha Yadav, and Jitendra Yadav, had their custody extended by four days by the Patiala House Court.
During the summit, Krishna Hari, Kundan Yadav, Ajay Kumar, and Narasimha Yadav were apprehended, while Jitendra Yadav was captured in Gwalior for his alleged role in organizing an unlawful assembly during the AI Summit and Expo 2026. The police requested an extension of custody citing crucial leads uncovered during the initial five-day custody period.
Despite the defense’s argument against further custodial interrogation, the court granted the police request for a four-day extension of custody for all five accused. The case is scheduled for further hearing on March 1. Earlier, four Youth Congress members were remanded to police custody for five days, followed by the arrest of Indian Youth Congress (IYC) National President Uday Bhanu Chib, who was also remanded for four days.
The police reported that Chib was uncooperative during questioning and did not disclose information about the absconding co-accused or the source of the printed T-shirts used in the protest. The incident has sparked a political controversy, with the BJP criticizing it as an attempt to damage India’s international reputation, while the Congress party has described it as a peaceful demonstration addressing youth concerns.
