Delhi’s Tis Hazari Court dismissed the anticipatory bail application of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) media coordinator Vikas Kumar Yogi on Friday, ruling it was not maintainable. The court noted that all the offences listed in the FIR are bailable, making anticipatory bail inapplicable. This case involves the alleged assault of a female journalist and a video journalist at the AAP office on Rouse Avenue.
Additional Sessions Judge Ram Lal Meena rejected the anticipatory bail, deeming it non-maintainable after reviewing the Delhi Police’s reply and the Public Prosecutor’s arguments, which confirmed the bailable nature of the offences.
Vikas Kumar Yogi’s plea, filed by Advocate Rajat Bhardwaj, argued there was a genuine fear of arrest. However, police contended that since all offences are bailable, the application was not maintainable. It was also mentioned that the female journalist’s statement needed to be recorded in court.
Advocate Rajat Bhardwaj argued the incident on May 20, 2024, involved a forced entry and misbehavior by the journalist and her cameraman. He added that before this FIR, Yogi had lodged a complaint, but no FIR was filed in response. Instead, an FIR was lodged against Yogi without being uploaded or shared with him until the court ordered it.
Delhi Police’s reply indicated that a custodial interrogation was necessary to identify other accused individuals. The court questioned this, asking, “If the offence is bailable, then why is custodial interrogation required? As of now, the offences are bailable. We don’t know when new sections will be added.”
The Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) clarified this was a typographical error, a claim the defense challenged. The court reiterated, “If offences are bailable, then anticipatory bail is not maintainable.”
Noting all submissions, the court concluded, “All the offences are bailable as of now. Therefore, the bail application is not maintainable. It is dismissed as not maintainable.”
Two days prior, an FIR detailed an incident involving Vikas Yogi and others, where a Times Now News Channel reporter and a video journalist were allegedly assaulted, their camera broken, and subjected to “derogatory language” and “threats” by 8-10 people who dragged them out of the building.
