Arrested JNU Student ‘Terrorised’, Say Lawyers To Supreme Court

Hundreds of police were deployed at a Delhi court where Kumar was set to appear after violence broke out there on Monday, with students, academics and journalists attacked when they turned out to see him.

The Congress opposition party has blamed supporters of the ruling nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of being behind the unrest.

“I believe in the unity and integrity of India änd will contribute to the same”, Kanhaiya said in his statement shortly before he was produced at Delhi’s Patiala House court.

“Representatives of these 10 student bodies will take out a protest march from Mandi House to parliament on Thursday and hold a public meeting on Saturday”, SFI’s Vikram Singh said. They said Rashid, along with several dozen supporters, took out a march from his Jawahar Nagar residence in support of JNU students and against the arrest of S A R Geelani.

Particular attention has focused on the role of Delhi police chief BS Bassi, who has cracked down on student agitators but not acted against Sharma.

The team said they witnessed an “unprecedented” situation with an atmosphere of “fear and terrorising people” and Dhawan told the court that the “collective view of the team is that police did not do their job”. “I am confident they will be arrested soon”, Bassi, who has defended Kumar’s arrest, told reporters. “It is also alleged that the charge of sedition was falsely added to intimidate those who dissent”, said the panel while issuing notices to Union Home Secretary, Chief Secretary, Delhi government, Delhi Police Commissioner and Registrar at JNU.

The journalists alleged that police personnel present in the court refused to come to their help.

India’s sedition laws were drafted by its British colonial rulers to suppress the country’s freedom struggle and in recent years the country’s Supreme Court has said that those laws should be invoked only when there is actual evidence of incitement to violence.

Earlier, hearing the matter the apex court condemned Monday’s attack on journalists in the Patiala House Court complex in connection with the JNU row.

Also, in the second FIR, the police have mentioned BJP MLA OP Sharma as a victim as he had suffered injuries.

As pictures of the rioting lawyers were televised, the Supreme Court rushed senior lawyers including Kapil Sibal and Prashant Bhushan to investigate the violence which by then included Mr Kumar being punched on his way into court.

Sub-inspector Kishan Pal, posted at Tilak Marg police station, said when he reached gate number 2 of the complex, he found that mediapersons had gathered there.

The police have been accused of being mute spectators while lawyers were thrashing journalists and JNU students.