JNU Row: Student Ashutosh Questioned for Second Time

Mr. Khalid and Mr. Bhattacharya were earlier sent to police remand for three days on February 24, 2016, after their midnight surrender and subsequent arrest in the case. Ashutosh has joined the investigation with the Delhi Police.

The police claimed that around 22 people present at the flashpoint JNU event, including some outsiders, have been identified after the joint interrogation of Khaled, Anirban and JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar (arrested in the same case). A JNU security guard and a policeman, said to be witnesses who also recorded their statements in the sedition case, were purportedly seen in a sting video saying Kanhaiya did not raise any slogan at the controversial February 9 event.

Two days earlier, when he was to be introduced to the court, the same set of lawyers had thrashed correspondents and JNU students and instructors.

The proceedings were not held in Patiala House Courts complex here due to security concerns, said the sources, adding they were instead held in a south Delhi police station, where a magistrate was called for conducting the remand proceedings.

The cops also inquired whether 2 of them were the primary organisers of the Feb 9 event from the hanging of Parliament assault convict Afzal Guru and if they were involved in anti-Indian sloganeering which allegedly took place.

The Delhi Police are looking for another JNU student who is reportedly still in hiding, said sources. In the first round of questioning, Kumar was confronted with Khalid and Anirban separately.

The five of them resurfaced at the campus on Sunday night and a day later, Mr Khalid and Mr Bhattacharya surrendered before police.

He joined the probe around 12 PM today and was questioned in two rounds by two police teams, a source said.

“In a case registered under Section 124 A (Sedition), the Special Cell shall do justice”, Bassi told reporters. He allegedly shouted anti-India slogans at the event.