NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday announced that the home department would take a final call regarding permission for prosecution of former JNUSU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar and others in a sedition case.
The decision, he asserted, would be taken without any political interference.
“The Delhi government has taken no decision on the matter. The department of home affairs is looking at the matter, and will take decision only after examining each and every fact placed on the table. There will be no political intervention from us. The reports (that Delhi government won’t give sanction for prosecution) are speculations,” he said.
Under the established rules, a charge sheet is not enough to take action when a case involves sedition. Permission is required from the state home department for the police to carry out prosecution.
On 9 February 2016, some JNU students had held a protest on campus against the hanging of Parliament-attack mastermind Afzal Guru.
Later on videos from the protest appeared in which then JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, JNU students Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya and others were purportedly heard raising anti-Indian slogans after Kejriwal’s press conference, Khalid and Bhattacharya claimed that the case was “fabricated” and politically motivated.
“I have not even seen a copy of the charge sheet as none of the accused has been provided with it. When the charge sheet was filed, I had welcomed it because I am convinced about my innocence. ... We know we haven’t done anything. These are fabricated charges and they will fall flat in the court of law,” said Khalid.
“There was a narrative, which was produced...a narrative that only sells to the newsrooms and not to the courtrooms,” Bhattacharya said. “Those who created this hype around JNU did that with political influence... It was tailor-made for the newsrooms.”
Senior cop refuses to comment
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell, PS Kushwah refused to comment on the reports as the matter is “sub judice”.
“We won’t say anything till we receive a notice from the government. It is a very serious matter. It is not appropriate to comment on it as the case is in the court,” said Kushwah. Other queries regarding the charge sheet and probe in the case were not responded to by the senior police officer who maintained it was a “sensitive” matter