A Howrah court on Friday denied bail to DYFI state secretary Minakshi Mukherjee and 15 other students and youth leaders of the CPM whinwere arrested in connection with a protest that turned violent on February 26.

The judicial custody of all 16, slapped with attempt to murder charges for allegedly inciting violence during the protest to condemn student activist Anis Khan's murder, was extended till March 7, when the case will come up for hearing again.

On Friday, senior lawyer and CPM Rajya Sabha MP Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya pleaded the case on behalf of the accused.

According to sources, one of the policemen injured in the attack, Arun Murmu, was discharged from hospital. The court, however, was not satisfied whether Murmu could return to normal life following the discharge.

“A medical report was submitted without any X-ray, scan or injury report. The magistrate has called for all medical records along with the case diary when the case will come up for hearing again on Monday,” said a lawyer.

Bhattacharya had argued that the Indian Penal Code’s section 333 is not applicable in the case since the injured policeman has already been discharged less than a week since he was admitted. The court, however, rejected, Bhattacharya’s arguments.

IPC section 333 states: whoever voluntarily causes grievous hurt to any public servant while he is on duty or with an intent to prevent him from discharging his duty will face punishment for a term that could extend to 10-years imprisonment along with fine.

Bhattacharjee had also pleaded that keeping the accused in judicial custody would not help in further investigation of the case.

The murder of Anis Khan and the arrest of Minakshi Mukherjee and others was raised in the CPM’s Kerala state congress which demanded immediate arrest of those involved in the murder of Khan and release of Mukherjee and all the co-accused in a resolution.

Minakshi was allegedly tortured in jail custody along with the others who were arrested after last Saturday's protest march which the police tried to stop forcibly using tear-gas shells and lathi-charge.

“This brutal murder in front of the family members led to spontaneous and widespread protests throughout Bengal. Mamata Banerjee was forced to set up a SIT. But so far only a home guard and a civic police volunteer have been arrested. These home guards and civic police are usually Trinamul recruits. It has become normal to use them to attack the democratic movement,” the resolution read.