Kanhaiya Kumar, president of the university’s student union, was arrested earlier over his participation in events on February 9 when they allegedly used anti-India slogans to call for the destruction of India and independence for the Indian portion of Kashmir. Kumar has been lodged in Tihar since he was remanded to 14-day judicial custody.
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A new video, showing raising of anti-India slogans allegedly by outsiders at a controversial event in JNU, has given a fresh twist to the case even as police informed the Delhi High Court about presence of some foreign elements at the gathering. Five other students who face similar allegations are expected to surrender to police later.
Delhi Police are likely to question him alongside the co-accused Jawaharlal Nehru University students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya.
According to sources, Delhi Police has sought custody of Kanhaiya Kumar on the ground that he has to be confronted with other two accused JNU students – Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya – and the metropolitan magistrate allowed them to quiz Kanhiaya till Friday.
On Tuesday over 130 faculties, students, staff, and affiliates of the American University of Beirut (AUB) have joined thousands of academics and concerned individuals around the world who have already signed solidarity statements condemning the recent alleged repressive actions of Indian authorities at JNU. Police did not enter the campus, but waited outside for them to come out and surrender.
Meanwhile, police in the capital on Thursday told the Supreme Court that they did not resort to violence when lawyers attacked people at Patiala House Court last week because it may have “led to a stampede”. “Functioning of the entire court complex would have been jeopardised because of tear gas sneaking into the court rooms”, said the report filed by Joint Commissioner of Police M K Meena.
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Many were outraged when Kumar was assaulted by right-wing lawyers as he appeared in court for a preliminary hearing last week in an apparently orchestrated attack.
