Referring to Kanhaiya, Bassi said, "He was escorted by the requisite number of police officers and he was taken care of. In the process, our police officers were also subjected to a lot of jostling when they were entering."
Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi on Wednesday downplayed criticism that the cops failed to protect JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar at the Patiala House Court complex, adding that extra precaution would be taken next time.
"You can't call that the situation at the Patiala House Court complex went out of hand. The accused was produced before the court notwithstanding a lot of crowd at the gate. We waded through the crowd; there was jostling and despite jostling this has been done. Now, we will use some other tactics when he is produced before the court next time he will be," said Bassi.
"My information is that there was a lot of jostling when he was brought to the court. However, considering the situation there, we were expecting this short of jostling and that is why he was not brought by one or two persons, which we normally do when we escort any under-trial or any person, who is in the police custody. He was escorted by the requisite number of police officers and he was taken care of. In the process, our police officers were also subjected to a lot of jostling when they were entering," he said.
"The entry to that the complex is through congested gates, where a large number of people were present. And particularly, because there were no restrictions whatsoever for entry to the complex, particularly for the lawyers and employees of the lawyers, one had no option but wade through the crowd. While wading through the crowd, there was a lot of jostling. My officers have informed me that notwithstanding the very excited crowd, they were able to wade through the crowd and the jostling was there," said the Police Commissioner.
"In the process, I am being told that Kanhaiya lost one of his slippers," he added. When asked that Kanhaiya was apparently slapped, Bassi said: "He was held very close by the police officers, who had put their arms around his body with the intention of protecting him from any assault. You would have also seen some of our police officers were covering him from behind and in front, and also one officer had also put his hand in front of his head so that if anything was thrown, it didn't cause any injury to him," explained Bassi.
"Out tactic was not to use force because use of force at a court complex can always prove to be counter-productive," he added. Meanwhile, Metropolitan Magistrate Loveleen remanded Kanhaiya, who was arrested on the sedition charges, to police in judicial custody till March 2.
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