Arrested JNU Students Deny Raising ‘Anti-National’ Slogans

Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, who have been booked on charges of sedition, surrendered before the Delhi Police late last night following which they were questioned for at least five hours.

The student leader had directly moved his bail plea before the Supreme Court invoking its jurisdiction under article 32, under which a citizen can move the apex court for enforcing his fundamental rights.

The interrogation of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya has thrown more light on the controversial event held at the campus on February 9, which led to a sedition case. A medical check was conducted on both the students in the police station and they were questioned for around five hours. The High Court said it is the statutory right of the investigating agency at this stage to ask for a remand.

The court denied their request, but told the police today: “Ensure there is no error while producing Umar Khalid and Anirban before the magistrate”. The report submitted by the police includes the alleged anti-national slogans which were raised in the varsity campus, the video of the incident that took place on February 9 and also accounts of the eyewitnesses.

The two left the administrative block of JNU in a vehicle and were consequently taken into custody by the Delhi Police.

Delhi Police had issued a look-out notice on February 20 against Khalid, Bhattacharya, Naga, Ashutosh and Prakash. He said he didn’t try to solicit support from students of other universities. The JNU row and Rohith Vemula’s suicide have both sparked great debate in the country about the freedom of speech, the right to dissent, police brutality and overreach.

The police also asked Umar about his call detail records.