The Delhi Police on Monday filed a charge sheet in connection with JNU Sedition Case 2016 against former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid, and others. The police have also framed charges against former JNU student Anirban Bhattacharya in its 1200 page charge sheet for allegedly shouting anti-India slogans during an event on the university campus on February 9, 2016, to commemorate the hanging of Parliament-attack mastermind Afzal Guru.
‘Names of 10 persons have been sent to court, requesting to initiate a trial. Names of 36 persons have been put in the list of persons against whom sufficient evidence hasn’t come on file so far to launch trial’ said statement by Delhi Police as quoted by ANI.
Delhi Police statement on 2016 JNU sedition case: Charge sheet filed. Names of 10 persons have been sent to court, requesting to initiate a trial. Names of 36 persons have been put in the list of persons against whom sufficient evidence hasn't come on file so far to launch trial. pic.twitter.com/DM0z5RZXag
— ANI (@ANI) January 14, 2019
A case was registered on February 11, 2016, under Sections of 124 A (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC against unknown persons at Vasant Kunj (North) police station following complaints by BJP MP Mahesh Girri and the Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a BJP backed student Union.
As per the Charge sheet, as many as 36 students including Communist Party of India Leader D Raja‘s daughter Aprajita Raja, then the Vice President JNUSU Shehla Rashid, Rama Naga, Ashutosh Kumar, and Banojyotsna Lahiri have been named in column 12 of the charge sheet due to insufficient evidence against them.
The accused have been booked under sections 124(A) (sedition), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 465 (punishment for forgery), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record), 143 (punishment for being a member of an unlawful assembly), 149 (being a member of an unlawful assembly), 147 (punishment for rioting) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as reported by many news agencies.
Metropolitan Judge Sumit Anand put up the charge sheet for consideration before a competent court on Tuesday.
In the 1200 page charge sheet that was filed almost three years later, Delhi Police has accused Kanhaiya Kumar of inciting the mob to shout anti-Indian Slogans reported PTI. The charge sheet also contains CCTV footages, Mobile videos, documentary evidence.
Reacting on the 1200 page charge sheet, Former JNU Students’ Union President Kanhaiya Kumar said as quoted by ANI, “If the news is true that a charge sheet has been filed, I would like to thank police and Modi Ji. The filing charge sheet after 3 years, ahead of elections clearly shows it to be politically motivated. I trust the judiciary of my country”.
Kanhaiya Kumar, former JNU president: If the news is true that a chargesheet has been filed, I would like to thank police and Modi Ji. The filing of chargesheet after 3 years, ahead of elections clearly shows it to be politically motivated. I trust the judiciary of my country. pic.twitter.com/eGVy40SYDT
— ANI (@ANI) January 14, 2019
While Former JNU Student who was also booked under Sedition charges, Umar Khalid said as quoted by NDTV, “The government is trying to divert attention and change the narrative in an election year to hide their failure. We will fight the case and prove our innocence,”
CPI Leader D Raja while terming its as Politically motivated said, “After 3 years Delhi Police has filed chargesheet & slapped sedition charges against some students that include the leader of All India Students Federation (AISF) Kanhaiya Kumar&some other students who belong to our student organization” He added, “Even at that time we said that these are politically motivated charges&nobody can accuse AISF for any activity against nation.There’s nothing to prove,our students can’t indulge in such activities&govt can’t slap sedition charges on them.We’ll fight the case in the Court.
D Raja: Even at that time we said that these are politically motivated charges&nobody can accuse AISF for any activity against nation.There's nothing to prove,our students can't indulge in such activities&govt can't slap sedition charges on them.We'll fight the case in the Court.
— ANI (@ANI) January 14, 2019
–With Inputs from Agencies