Cops want JNU students to join sedition probe

The Delhi Police have written to the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice Chancellor asking 30 students of the varsity to join the probe in connection with the sedition case.

The case was filed against the then student union president Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya and others for shouting anti-national slogans to commemorate the hanging of terrorist Afzal Guru for his role in the 2001 Parliament attack.

The special cell, probing the case, had sent a list of 30 students, including Aprojitha Raja, the daughter of Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D Raja.

Last year, Raja had protested against the government over the case.  The notice was issued to the students after Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik reviewed the status of the case. To expedite a charge sheet, Patnaik directed Special Commissioner (Special Cell) to complete the probe fast.

The letter stated that some students need to be interrogated with regard to the case and that they should be present at the administrative block post at noon from April 27 to April 29.

The letter written by Inspector Umesh Barthwal to Vice Chancellor JNU Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, stated, “For the purpose of investigation some students of JNU are to be interrogated in this case, You are hearby informed  through this notice to direct studnet of JNU to remain present at administrative block in JNU to join the investigation..”  

Immediatley after the letter was issued, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union (JNUSU) issued a statement wherein they demended to know that that the case was registered on February 11,2016 and the students are being called now for a special interrogation.  

“JNU was thoroughly targeted last year during February which continued for a long time by creating a national-anti-national narrative. Even though there were concentrated attempts by using state machinery to shut down JNU, continuous media trails, spreading of doctored videos, unleashing physical attacks etc,” said Satarupa Chakraborty, General Secretary, JNUSU.

The list of students includes Snehla Rashid who was earlier the Vice-President of the JNU student union.

The JNUSU statement further said, “A new story has popped up on Thursday where 30 students are called for an interrogation without specifying for what this interrogation is! A list of students are named where some of them weren’t even students on the said date while some of the others are not students now, and many others can’t be even identified, are said to come for an interrogation,”  

The student union in their statement questioned “We want to ask, what is this interrogation all about? Why suddenly these names are called? What is the basis of such a list? What is the connection between the names listed with the mentioned date? What are the charges after all?”  

The Patiala House Court in August last year granted regular bail to JNU Students Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar and two other students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya in a case of sedition. The Delhi High Court in September last year extended the interim relief to Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, who have been charged with sedition. The court directed to JNU that interim relief to Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya will continue till September 29. Both had sought directions against the decision of Appellate Authority of JNU with regard to rustication and fines imposed on them, in relation to the February 9 event.

Khalid, Bhattacharya and Kumar are being prosecuted by the Delhi Police for allegedly raising anti-India slogans on the JNU campus at a meeting organised on February 9 last year.