JNU battle plays out in court as lawyers attack students, media

New Delhi: Violence broke out in Patiala House court complex when groups of lawyers today attacked journalists, students and teachers of JNU and unidentified people in and outside the court dubbing them as anti-nationals in the wake of a raging row over the arrest of a student leader of the university.

A Delhi BJP MLA O P Sharma, who happened to be in the complex, also joined a group of lawyers in beating up a person, identified as CPI activist Ameeque Jamai, who was taken to Tuglaq Road police station.

The violence broke out when JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar against whom a sedition case has been filed was to be brought before metropolitan magistrate Lovleen for remand proceedings but was later taken elsewhere.

Read: All you need to know about the JNU controversy

The lawyers, claiming to be patriots, first targeted the JNU students and teachers inside the court. They beat them up telling them that the JNU is a "den" of anti-India elements and terrorists.

A television reporter was attacked while a woman journalist was spared even as the crowd threatened them that their phones and bones will be broken.

Outside the court, another group of lawyers thrashed journalists, JNU students and even court officials. BJP MLA O P Sharma who was in the complex in connection with the hearing in the defamation case filed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, was seen beating up Jamai. Jaitley himself was in the complex for sometime.

Later, when asked by the media, Sharma claimed he was roughed up when there a melee when slogans like 'Pakistan Zindabad, Hindustan Murdabad' were shouted. When told there was footage about his beating up somebody, Sharma said "I do not known which video you are taking about."

And in the same breath, he said "it is not wrong if some body shouting such slogans is beaten up or even done to death."

Read: Delhi top cop justifies Kanhaiya 's arrest, says no evidence of LeT link so far

In all, at least nine journalists were attacked, according to complaint by them with the Tuglaq Road police station. Two of the journalists were taken to RML hospital for medical check up.

JNU teachers said 10 of their colleagues were beaten up.

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

They said they had gone to attend the proceedings but a group of lawyers started yelling at them saying teachers were also anti-nationals, Rohit Azad, one of the teachers said.

JNU condemned the attack on its teachers in Patiala house court even as the university's teaching community decided to join the students strike against the administration from tomorrow. "We condemn the attack on the teachers. Let the law take its course. Any sort of violent activity against anybody is condemnable," JNU Registrar Bhupinder Zutshi said.

Read: JNU row: Students' Union president arrested under sedition charges

Delhi court extended Kanhaiya Kumar’s police custody by two days. Kanhaiya was produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen where the police sought his custodial interrogation, an official associated with the investigation said.

The police told the court that custodial interrogation of Kanhaiya to ascertain the alleged links of the accused persons, including those who are allegedly absconding, with terrorist groups, was required.

The court, after hearing the submissions, extended Kanhaiya's police custody by two days till February 17, he said.

The court will on Tuesday hear the plea seeking National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe in the sedition case levelled against Kanhaiya Kumar.

Kanhaiya was arrested last week in connection with a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy registered over holding of the event at the varsity during which anti-India slogans were alleged to have been raised.

His arrest has triggered widespread outrage among students and teachers and drawn severe criticism from non-BJP political parties.

Read: JNU crackdown a result of ‘conspiracy’, alleges RSS leader

The university teachers had on Sunday rallied behind its protesting students and questioned the administration's decision to allow the police crackdown on the campus even as they appealed to the public not to "brand" the institution as "anti-national".

Teachers bodies of 40 central universities and Pune-based FTII had also come out in support of the agitating students saying it is an issue of "indiscipline" and not "sedition".

Read: Rajnath Singh communalising JNU issue, says Congress

Vice Chancellor Jadesh Kumar appealed to the students to not resort to strikes and protests so that academic functioning of the university is not hampered.

"We also stand for free expression of ideas but I believe there is no need for strikes as the problem can be solved amicably. We are reaching out to the entire JNU community to see how the problem can be addressed but academic functioning of the university is of prime importance and should not be hampered," he told reporters.

Read: Sitaram Yechury gets threat calls over JNU row, police launches probe

While the teachers association of the university have raised questions over the VC allowing a police crackdown on campus, Kumar said he was bound with the "law of land".

"I never invited the police to enter the campus and pick our students. We only provided whatever cooperation was needed as per the law of land. We were bound to do so," he added.