JNU row: Supreme Court refuses to take up Kanhaiya's plea

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday transferred the bail plea of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar to the Delhi High Court and asked it to expeditiously deal with the matter.

It declined to entertain the petition at this stage, saying its direct intervention would be a dangerous proposition. Mr Kumar’s lawyers, Sushil Bajaj and Vrinda Grover, who were escorted by the Delhi police, directly went to the High Court’s listing registrar, Loren  Bamniyal, and mentioned the petition behind closed doors. Soon after the apex court  order, security in and around the High Court was beefed up with the deployment of additional police personnel and CRPF jawans.

The matter is yet to be listed before a bench of the High Court for hearing. Defying police summons, scores of lawyers,  including those who allegedly assaulted Mr Kanhaiya Kumar, students, teachers and journalists on separate occasions, held a protest march around India Gate, demanding action against those “indulging” in “anti-India” activities.

Defending its inaction at the Patiala House court complex, the Delhi police is said to have told the Union home ministry that past experience has shown that men in uniform have been on  the receiving end whenever they confronted lawyers in city and other states.

Kanhaiya received injuries, says his medical report
The Modi government again faced more flak from the Opposition over the escalating JNU row with the chief ministers of Bihar and Delhi alleging it has triggered an emotional issue to “hide its failure” on the economic front and that opposing the BJP and RSS has become the “biggest crime”.

Parliamentarians, including CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI general secretary S. Sudhakar Reddy, petitioned President Pranab Mukherjee for the release of Mr Kumar and the withdrawal of sedition cases against all students.

Condemning the attack launched by the RSS-BJP against the Left and other democratic and secular forces, they told the President that it was clear that by spreading the canard of being “anti-national”, the RSS and BJP have mounted an all-India attack against the Indian people.

Contrary to police claims, Mr Kanhaiya Kumar’s medical examination report showed that he had received external injuries during the attack on him at the Patiala House court complex.

Earlier on Friday, a bench of Justices J. Chelameswar and A.M. Sapre, while agreeing with the submissions that Mr Kumar’s plea was an ordinary case, however, observed that if in every case it is said that only the Supreme Court should hear it, it would set a dangerous precedent and open the floodgates for others.

Soon after the matter was taken up senior counsel C.U. Singh, appearing for advocate Subash Chandran, alleged that the complaint filed by his client was not registered as an FIR. He alleged that extremist organisations like the RSS were involved in the incidents.

Justice Chelameswar said: "We are not interested in who created or designed this. We are interested in their safety and life.” The bench then asked Mr Singh to file a fresh petition confining the averments to the relief sought.