In his application, Kanhaiya Kumar had sought protection of “life and limb”, saying there is “great likelihood of an attack on him in prison” and said there was a need for the apex court to intervene. “The present circumstances are exceptional and call for an exceptional remedy” the petition filed on behalf of Kumar said while claiming him to be innocent.
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An apex court bench of Justice J Chelameswar and Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre, while transferring Kanhaiya’s petition, asked the high court to hear it expeditiously. “They considered it their duty to have done what they did”, he submitted.
The 28-year-old student leader was arrested on February 12 for allegedly raising anti-national slogans at the JNU event three days earlier against the 2013 execution of Afzal Guru, the Kashmiri militant blamed for the terror attack on Indian parliament in 2001. Kanhaiya was sent to 14-day judicial custody by Patiala House court on Wednesday. And hapless JNU students can not meet him and be pals like before as the gun men around him would be more embarrassing for them too.
In the southern city of Chennai, police arrested 40 students.
The IANS’ Supreme Court correspondent had informed me in advance about the decision of the apex court to allow only five journalists apart from lawyers of the accused, prosecution, and relatives of Kanhaiya Kumar inside the Patiala House court room.
Opposition parties, including the Congress and the AAP, came down heavily on the ruling BJP and prime minister Narendra Modi.
In April 2012, the Supreme Court had criticised the Andhra Pradesh government for failing to prevent Telangana-related violence in the Andhra Pradesh High Court in 2010, observing that “sheer goondaism” (hooliganism) in the courtroom “could have killed the judge”.
The students from Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Milia Islamia took part in the protest, shouting slogans like “Janwad pe hamla band karo” (End attacks on democracy).
Police Commissioner BS Bassi has all along claimed to have had “adequate evidence” to prosecute Kumar for sedition. Clip inspired FIR, cops ignored Meanwhile, it has emerged that Kanhaiya Kumar was slapped with sedition charge based on a video clip of a controversial event on February 9 on the varsity campus, despite there were a few policemen deployed at the event. Student groups affiliated with the BJP demanded strict action against Kumar and others who they accused of being anti-Indian.
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At this, the bench issued a string of directives to ensure a conducive atmosphere during the hearing at Patiala House Courts where Kanhaiya was to be produced before a magistrate following completion of his police custody.
