Plea in Delhi HC for NIA probe in JNUSU President Kanhaiya's sedition case

New Delhi: A plea was filed in the Delhi High Court on Monday seeking NIA probe in the sedition case in which JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar has been arrested, adding to the row over the issue.

The plea, which was mentioned before a bench of Justices B D Ahmed and R K Gauba, also sought a judicial inquiry in the entire case, soon after a group of men in lawyers' robes thrashed students and mediapersons in the nearby Patiala House court complex.

The petition, filed by one Ranjana Agnihotri, alleged that Delhi Police was not investigating the case properly and the matter should be transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The bench, however, posted the matter for hearing tomorrow observing that the Delhi Police was already conducting a probe and would take the case to its logical conclusion.

"The police is probing it. What is the urgency? List it for tomorrow," the bench said.

The petitioner's counsel, advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, told the bench that media houses should be directed to place on record the video footage of the programme held in JNU on February 9 in which anti-India slogans were allegedly raised.

Kanhaiya was arrested on February 12 in connection with a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy over an event at the prestigious university against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

The same day, he was remanded to three-day police custody by a court here after the police said his and five other absconding accused' alleged links with terrorist groups were being probed.

A case was registered under Sections of 124 A (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC against unknown persons at Vasant Kunj (North) Police station following complaints by BJP MP Maheish Girri and the ABVP.

The event was held despite the varsity administration having cancelled the permission following a complaint by ABVP members, who had termed the activity as "anti-national".