Mumbai police refutes Kanhaiya Kumar's allegations of assault on flight

Mumbai police on Sunday refuted allegations by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students' union leader Kanhaiya Kumar that a fellow passenger on a flight had attempted to strangle him.

Earlier in the day, Kumar alleged a person tried to strangle him when he boarded a flight from Mumbai to Pune. He also claimed the attacker was a member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Yet again, this time inside the aircraft, a man tries to strangulate me.

— Kanhaiya Kumar (@kanhaiyajnusu) April 24, 2016

After the incident @jetairways staff completely refuses to take any action against the man who assaulted me.

— Kanhaiya Kumar (@kanhaiyajnusu) April 24, 2016

Basically @jetairways sees no difference between someone who assaults nd d person who is assaulted. They will deplane you, if you complain.

— Kanhaiya Kumar (@kanhaiyajnusu) April 24, 2016

Manas Deka, works in TCS, a strong BJP supporter assaulted me inside the aircraft. Is assault the only tool you have, to fight dissent?

— Kanhaiya Kumar (@kanhaiyajnusu) April 24, 2016

However, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Mumbai, Deven Bharti, denied the allegations.

"Kanhaiya Kumar has not lodged any complaint despite our request from the senior inspector of Sahar Police Station and another senior officer. Whatever has been alleged by his friend, in our enquiry, we found it not to be true," said Bharti.

Kumar and the alleged attacker were made to deboard at the Mumbai airport after the incident. The student leader later travelled to Pune by road to attend an event. Kumar was arrested and charged with sedition for being involved in an event in the JNU campus commemorating the hanging of 2001 parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Anti-national slogans were allegedly raised at the event.

Two other students of JNU, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, were also arrested in connection with the event. Later, all three were released on bail.