NEW DELHI: Police claimed they have “enough evidence” of sedition against JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar. But there isn’t much in the statements of 14 eyewitnesses, accessed by Express, that shows Kanhaiya had raised “anti-India” slogans. Most said he was only present where organisers of the February 9 event were shouting the slogans.
In his written statement to the police, JNU Chief Security Officer Naveen Yadav, said Kanhaiya Kumar was one of those “leading the procession.” Another witness Security Guard Inspector Sandeep Kumar said there was a gathering of about 15 to 20 students who were raising “anti-national slogans”. He told the police that Kanhaiya Kumar was also present there.
Like Sandeep Kumar, Security Assistants Suraj Prakash, Hoshiyar Singh, Amarjeet Kumar, Praveen Kumar, Gaurav Bali and Vijay Pal Yadav Singh have just said that Kanhaiya was present at the event. But none of them have told the police that he raised any slogans.
Even ABVP joint secretary and PhD student Saurabh Kumar Sharma, a witness in the case, has said that “anti-national” slogans were raised by a gathering of 15 to 20 students where Kanhaiya was also present. But Bhaskar Jyoti, from ABVP, Priya Dharshani, Anima Sonkar and Anima Ankur Aryan said the “anti-national slogans were raised by the organisers along with the JNUSU President.”
Police have recorded these 14 witnesses’ statement so far in the case and has prepared list of around 20 more people to their record statements.
Also, they all have told police that members of Democratic Students Union, Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya , Banojyotsna Lahiri, who is a guest faculty lecturer of Ambedkar University, Reyaz-ul-Haq and his wife Rubina Saifi, Komal Bharat Mohite, Ashwati, Anwesha, Anjali Jha, Bhawana Bedi and Samar raised anti-national slogans and organised the activity despite not getting permission to hold such a gathering.