Kanhaiya Kumar moves bail plea in SC

Delhi’s outgoing police chief B.S. Bassi on Thursday denied that JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar was attacked at the Patiala House Court here. The incident took place when Kanhaiya was being produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Loveleen under heavy security cover.

The panel was empowered by supreme court to visit Patiala House Court and report back about the violence done by lawyers.

Kanhaiya Kumar, president of the JNU students union, is in judicial custody in a case of sedition after anti-India slogans were raised at a campus event held in memory of Parliament attacker Afzal Guru.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will also hear a plea by lawyer RP Luthra objecting to Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi’s statement that they will not oppose any plea for bail by JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, who is accused of sedition.

“No other advocates other than that of accused and the prosecution will be present during the proceedings in court room”.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist politburo member said that apparently for the home minister, students expressing their opinions within university campus and within the framework of constitution were anti-national, but the lawyers attacking and abusing people inside court premises were great nationalists.

While JNU students and teachers are fear-stricken owing to what happened in Patiala Courts despite the Supreme Court’s orders on Wednesday, some professors have resolved to take up lessons on “nationalism” that BJP and ABVP have repeatedly uttered in their slogans and speeches.

The protesting lawyers, who had beaten up reporters at an earlier hearing into the case on Monday, returned chanting nationalist slogans and waving the Indian flag. “Media has an unhindered right to report; Attack on media persons is highly improper and condemnable”, the Information & Broadcasting Minister said in a tweet. “If they don’t co-operate we examine other options, most probably move the court to issue an arrest warrant”.

The Pakistani students also vowed to continue their struggle for reviving students unions in the country, saying they admire their existence in India. “The Centre should either present evidence against the JNUSU president or withdraw allegation of sedition against him”, he said.

Lawyers who participated in both the attacks, but who could not be identified.