Suspension of Eight JNU Students Revoked, No Clean Chit Yet

The suspension was revoked after a high-level inquiry committee submitted its report to JNU authorities.
JNU students shout slogans during their protest against the arresting of  JNU student union leader Kanhaiya Kumar in New Delhi | Express photo by Shekhar Yadav
JNU students shout slogans during their protest against the arresting of JNU student union leader Kanhaiya Kumar in New Delhi | Express photo by Shekhar Yadav

NEW DELHI: The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Friday revoked the suspension of eight students, including students’ union president Kanhaiya Kumar, in connection with an alleged ‘anti-national’ event held on campus to protest the hanging of Afzal Guru.

The suspension was revoked after a high-level inquiry committee submitted its report to JNU authorities. However, officials said it did not signify a clean chit to the students.

Besides Kanhaiya, the other suspended students include Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, Ashutosh, Rama Naga, Anant Kumar, Shweta Raj and Aishwarya Adhikari. While Kanhaiya was granted bail in a sedition case last week, Khalid and Bhattacharya are in custody.

The students’ union, which held a protest march on the campus during the day calling the probe committee an eyewash, issued a statement saying they will  not accept the enquiry committee’s report.

“Since the inquiry is over, their suspension has been revoked. The suspended students can now resume classes and academic activities. However, it should not be seen as a clean chit, the decision about punishment if any or for whom will be made after the university administration has deliberated upon the recommendations of the committee,” said a university official.

The five-member panel was constituted by JNU on February 10, a day after the controversial event during which ‘anti-national’ slogans were allegedly raised. The eight students were suspended on February 12.

On the basis of a preliminary report, the varsity had barred the eight students from academic activity, while allowing them to stay as guests at the hostel till the inquiry was over.

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