Mismanagement, Wrong Decision at the Last Minute Led to Attack

Despite being alerted that lawyers will indulge in violence, the Delhi police decided to produce Kumar in court.
New Delhi JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar arrested on charges of sedition being produced at Patiala House Courts in New Delhi on Wednesday | PTI
New Delhi JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar arrested on charges of sedition being produced at Patiala House Courts in New Delhi on Wednesday | PTI

NEW DELHI: Police mismanagement and last-minute change in decision led to the attack on journalists and arrested JNU students’ union president Kanhaiya Kumar at the Patiala House Court premises on Wednesday.

Despite being alerted that lawyers will indulge in violence, the Delhi police decided to produce Kumar in court on the advice of Joint Commissioner of Police Mukesh Kumar Meena, who assured all the senior officers that he was ready to lathicharge to disperse the mob. But in the afternoon, junior police officers were told to avoid confrontation with the lawyers. The plan was to take Kumar through gate number two but due to stone pelting, the two ACP rank officers escorting him in seven vehicles decided to take him through gate number six around 2.10 p.m. The police deployed near gate number two had to rush to the other side and had just a few minutes to form a human chain to shield Kumar.

The court room is at some distance from gate number six. Around 200 lawyers started pushing and attacking the policemen while Kumar was being escorted to the court room. A few police personnel were injured in the attack. “It was like a battle ground,” a senior police officer said. Around 50 policemen near the court room failed to suspect that a lawyer inside could attack Kumar. Kumar was attacked by the unidentified lawyer right in front of Deputy Commissioner of Police Jatin Narwal. Worse still, the lawyer easily slipped away before the police could react.

Later, sensing the gravity of the situation, doctors were called inside the court room where a medical examination of Kumar was carried out. But after that, the police were unable to take Kumar outside as around 200 lawyers armed with stones were waiting to attack. At 6 p.m., the police disguised him in police dress and managed to take him to the court jail and from there, to the van.

In the meantime, Police Commissioner BS Bassi, sensing that the van might also be attacked, ordered two JCPs to resort to lathi charge. But the JCPs and a DCP, responsible for ferrying Kumar, avoided confrontation. But, worse happened again. The traffic was at a standstill and the van couldn’t move. Finally, the police had to divert the entire traffic before heaving a sigh of relief.

Verma likely to be new Delhi police chief; BASSI a contender for info commissioner

New Delhi: Senior IPS officer Alok Kumar Verma, Director General Prisons of Tihar Jail, is tipped to be the next Delhi Police Commissioner. Current Commissioner BS Bassi, who is retiring at the end of this month, has applied for the position of Chief Information Commissioner which fell vacant in December, 2015. According to reports, DG (Prisons) Alok Kumar Verma, Special Commissioner of Police (Special Unit) Dharmendra Kumar and Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Deepak Mishra are in the race for the top job. A Gujarat cadre IPS officer, Ahmedabad police commissioner Shivanand Jha, known to be a close confidant of PM Modi, was also tipped to be brought in to take charge of Delhi police.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com