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JNU row: Court extends police custody of Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya

Both students were earlier sent to three days’ police remand on Feb 2 4, after their midnight surrender and subsequent arrest in case. Two days earlier, when Kumar was to be brought to the court, the same set of lawyers had thrashed journalists and JNU students and teachers.

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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.

Another JNU student, Ashutosh, who the police was looking out for in connection with the sedition case, joined investigation today after receiving a police summon.

In a relative development, Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi said the sedition case has been transferred to the force’s counter-terrorism unit Special Cell. He was questioned for almost 10 hours before being let off. Police sources said Ashutosh would not be given a clean chit unless all his answers were found satisfactory.

Police had registered a case of sedition at Vasant Kunj North police station after they took suo motu cognisance of a video from a news channel, in which a few students were shown raising anti-India slogans.

Bassi had refused to do so then saying that the concerned police district has enough capacity to deal with the matter.

Earlier, the Delhi High-Court had purchased that “secrecy” be maintained during the remand proceeding of Umar Khalid and Anirban, besides Kanhaiya Kumar, while leading the authorities to ensure that no one “endures also a scratch” and there’s no ruckus this period. In the first round of questioning, Kumar was confronted with Khalid and Anirban separately.

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He further said the police have so far been unable to identify four persons who had covered their faces with mufflers – all believed to be outsiders – who were spotted allegedly raising anti-national slogans at the event.

Court attack was politically motivated