JNU row: Kanhaiya free, gets police security ring
The AAP government's magisterial inquiry didn't find any evidence that he had raised anti-national slogans.
New Delhi: As JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Ku-mar was released on Thursday after spending 23 days at Tihar Jail in a sedition case, the Delhi police, fearing a threat to his life, provided him unprecedented security.
Mr Kumar was taken out of the prison via a residential colony to a nearby police station before he went back to the JNU campus, where he was greeted by hundreds of supporters.
The AAP government’s magisterial inquiry didn’t find any evidence that he had raised anti-national slogans.
AAP clean chit greets Kanhaiya on release
The AAP government probe, headed by district magistrate Sanjay Kumar, said no witness or any other evidence had been found showing JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar indulged in “anti-India” sloganeering. On the contrary, the magisterial report said many outsiders of Kashmiri descent were seen shouting “anti-India” slogans.
The report said: “They should be immediately identified for further investigation. Possibly two of these students are from JNU and the administration will be working to bring them to book.” During his inquiry, the DM also examined the JNU V-C, the university’s internal inquiry report, the security staff, students and eyewitnesses.
The report said the inquiry panel also sought to question three other students — Umer Khalid, Anirbhan Bhattacharya and Ashutosh — who did not turn up and had sent a “thank you note”. Earlier on Thursday, a magisterial court ordered the JNU Students Union president’s release after he furnished a personal bond of Rs 10,000 and one surety of like amount as directed by the high court on Wednesday.
A JNU faculty member, Prof. S.N. Malakar, stood surety for him. The high court granted him interim bail for six months after imposing conditions that include an undertaking that he will not take part in any unlawful or anti-national activity.
Soon after Kanhaiya came out of Tihar at around 6.40 pm, the entire JNU campus began celebrating, with students and teachers seen hugging each other, some even applying colours on each other and many offering sweets to mark the occasion. “This is just the beginning. Now we will raise our voice against the sedition charges for which Kanhaiya and two other students were booked,” said a M.Phil. student of the university.
Situation in JNU normal, says Smriti Irani
HRD minister Smriti Irani on Thursday in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha said that most classes in JNU, which has seen protests over arrest of students in connection with a controversial event, are being held regularly and the academic atmosphere of the university is normal.