An Indian student leader arrested on a controversial sedition charge was attacked on Wednesday, February 17, when police brought him into court, as anger over a case that has sparked mass protests boiled over.
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The journalists condemned the beating up of their Delhi counterparts by groups of advocates, and the alleged inaction of the Delhi police.
His arrest has triggered a political storm.
He was later remanded in custody by the court until 2 March.
Nationalist pro-government lawyers broke into a courthouse compound where a bail hearing for 28-year-old leader Kanhaiya Kumar was being held Wednesday, causing further disorder in case mired in controversy.
Vikram Chauhan led the group, which could be seen raising slogans “Vande Mataram” and waving India’s flag in the court premises.
Dozens of lawyers, many with links to India’s ruling nationalist party, yesterday attacked protesters who have been demanding the release of a university student leader arrested under colonial-era sedition laws. “But if there is no evidence against me, there should be no media trial”, he said.
Soon afterward, a grimacing and cowering Kumar was escorted onto the court premises on foot by a few policemen.
Earlier, in the day, the apex court asked Delhi Police counsel Ajit Sinha to call Mr. Bassi in open court and directed him to ensure that the lawyers and journalists trapped in the court room along with the judge in the fracas, be set free.
Kumar denies he was among those chanting anti-India slogans at last Tuesday’s rally to mark the 2013 hanging of Kashmiri separatist Mohammed Afzal Guru over a deadly 2001 attack on the Indian parliament. “Commissioner of police B.S. Bassi should be immediately suspended and removed from the post”, party spokesman and Delhi PCC chief Ajay Maken told mediapersons.
Mr. Bassi informed that the police have also summoned three lawyers and BJP MLA O P Sharma in connection with assault on journalists on Monday at the court.
We had been cautioned in advance and made a decision to stick together, trusting the police to handle the situation if things went out of hand.
In a written statement he said that he had full faith in the constitution of India and he didn’t support any anti-national activity. “The Supreme Court is apprised of the matter”.
But Supreme Court lawyer Sanjay Hegde doubts that sedition can be proven – because, he says, it requires speech to cross the line into action.
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In the absence of relatives, two people – one from JNU faculty and one from the student fraternity – would be allowed.
