October 5, 1977, Forty Years Ago: Mrs Gandhi Released

The front page of Indian Express on October 5, 1977

Mrs Indira Gandhi was ordered to be released immediately by additional chief metropolitan magistrate, R. Dayal. A large crowd had assembled before the New Delhi courts on Parliament Street where Mrs Gandhi was taken from the gazetted officers’ mess, New Police Lines, Kingsway Camp, where she had spent the night. After the court order, Mrs Gandhi was taken home. She was accompanied by Sanjay Gandhi and some Congress leaders. Dayal said there were no grounds for believing that the accusation was well-founded. Further, the fact that even the source of accusation had not been disclosed and no evidence had been collected till now indicated that there was nothing to show the existence of such grounds.

Govt Moves HC

After hours of consultations, the government moved the High Court challenging the order releasing Mrs Indira Gandhi. The government submitted that the magistrate had acted illegally in coming to his conclusions and drawing the inference that the prosecution had no grounds for believing that the arrest was well-founded.

Indira In Bombay

Speaking to the media at the Bombay airport, Mrs Gandhi said she has not changed her programme because of what happened in Delhi.

JP Refuses Comment

Jayaprakash Narayan reserved his comment on the arrest and subsequent release of Mrs Indira Gandhi. It seems too early to make any statement, he told newsmen.

Charan Singh Reacts

Home Minister Charan Singh said the charges on which Mrs Gandhi had been arrested were serious and further investigations may reveal many other offences. He denied that the government had arrested her because of political vendetta .