NEW DELHI:The Delhi High Court on Friday set aside Jawaharlal Nehru University’s decision to penalise former JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar for breach of discipline, calling the order illegal, irrational and irregular.
The court asked JNU to decide the matter after hearing both the parties involved in the case.Kanhaiya Kumar had approached the Delhi High Court against the fine imposed on him by a high-level panel of the university in connection with a 2016 incident during which anti-India slogans were allegedly raised at an event to protest the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. A panel formed by the university had in 2016 recommended a fine of `10,000 on Kumar in connection with the event.
The panel had also recommended rustication of Umar Khalid, and imposed financial penalties on 13 other students for violation of disciplinary norms.On July 5, the university had revealed that the panel had upheld its decision against Khalid and Kumar, and in some cases the penalty had been reduced.
Kumar, Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested in February 2016 on charges of sedition in connection with the event. All three are out on bail.