New Delhi: JNU students’ union president Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested in a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy for holding an anti-national event inside the university premises, was today remanded to three-day police custody by a Delhi court.
Kanhaiya was produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen where the police sought his custodial interrogation for five days to ascertain the alleged links of the accused persons, including those who are allegedly absconding, with terrorist groups.
The police told the court that Kanhaiya was also required to be interrogated for the purpose of identification of other accused who were seen shouting “anti-national” slogans during the event organised in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Campus on February 9.
The police also placed on record a CD of the event which the judge played inside the court room on a computer.
Kanhaiya told the court that he was neither shouting any slogan nor saying anything against integrity of the country and said he had rushed to the spot only to prevent a clash between ABVP workers and students organising the event.
He claimed in the court that this was a politically- motivated case and he was being framed by the police as he had defeated the ABVP candidate in the presidential elections of the JNU students’ union (JNUSU).
He told the court that he did not endorse the slogans against India in any manner and has full faith in the Constitution of the country.
“I dissociate myself from the slogans which were shouted in the event. I have full faith in the Constitution of the country and I always say that Kashmir is an integral part of India,” Kanhaiya told the court.
After the CD was played inside the court room, the judge asked Kanhaiya about the identity of the persons who were seen shouting slogans in favour of Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged after being awarded death penalty by the court, and Pakistan.
Responding to the court’s query, the accused said he did not know all of them as they were outsiders but he can identify all the students who are from JNU.
AI censures sedition charges
The arrest of Jawaharlal Nehru University students union President Kanhaiya Kumar on sedition charges are uncalled for.
Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested in a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy for holding an event inside the university premises. He has been remanded to three-day police custody by a Delhi court. Criminal charges for demonstration in JNU even if some might regard it as offensive are unwarranted. The right to freedom of expression extends to speech that offends or disturbs. India’s sedition law is contrary to international standards on freedom of expression and must be repealed.
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