JNU row: Lawyers turn violent in court again

JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar beaten, in jail till March 2

In a complete shocker yet again and in open defiance of clear directives issued by the Supreme Court, a group of men in lawyers’ robes that had assaulted journalists on Monday once again attacked the media, other lawyers and JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar when he was being produced at the Patiala House courts despite the huge presence of the Delhi police, raising questions on the handling of the situation by the police. After medical examination, the student leader was remanded to judicial custody in Tihar Jail till March 2.

The Supreme Court, reacting to these unprecedented events in the heart of the national capital on Wednesday afternoon. even rushed a team of senior lawyers with police protection to assess the situation in the court, hours after it had issued a series of directions to ensure peace in the court complex in the wake of Monday’s violence. The Union home ministry also asked city police commissioner B.S. Bassi to submit a report on the fresh violence in the court premises, where the JNU Students Union chief got badly injured. Mr Bassi, however, denied that the JNUSU chief had been “beaten up”. Summons have been issued to three lawyers and BJP MLA O.P. Sharma over the attacks on journalists, Mr Bassi said, adding that the use of force in the court would have been counterproductive. While the police chief claimed that there was enough evidence to back the sedition charge against Kanhaiya Kumar, he also said his force will not object to his bail plea. The police is reportedly looking for 30-odd students who were directly or indirectly involved with the controversial February 9 event on the JNU campus. The NHRC issued notices to the Centre, the Delhi government, the Delhi police and the university authorities over the police action at the campus. Both students and teachers did not attend their classes at JNU on Wednesday for the third consecutive day.

Senior Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said there was an “alternative voice” in the university which should also be heard, JNU vice-chancellor Jagadesh Kumar appealed to “all” political parties not to “interfere” in campus matters, saying that the university was capable of dealing with all such issues internally.

Mahyem once again broke out at the Patiala House court complex on Wednesday when a group of men in lawyers’ robes first targeted journalists within and outside the courtroom where Kanhaiya Kumar was to be produced. They even threw stones television OB vans and at camerapersons. One journalist was thrashed inside the courtroom. Later, the student leader was attacked by a large group of men in black robes outside the courtroom despite the heavy deployment of policemen escorting him. He was kicked, slapped and punched, and then the 28-year-old was attacked for a second time while he was kept iside a room prior to the hearing. He was slapped by a person wearing dark glasses who was attending the hearing. Kanhaiya Kumar later told the court that he was attacked by a person sitting right in front of him. “The police saved me,” he said, but his attacker managed to leave the courtroom without being stopped by the police. The court also asked the police how the student leader was attacked despite the heavy security and protection provided to him on court orders. The court then directed the police commissioner to personally ensure his safety.

The magistrate also ordered the DCP (security), who was present in court, to ensure there was no further attack on the accused. He also directed the superintendent of Tihar Jail to ensure the student leader’s security. On the court’s directions, he was medically examined inside the court. A doctor said he had suffered abrasions on his nose, legs and face. He was later moved to Tihar Jail.

In a statement at the start of proceedings, Kanhaiya Kumar told the court in an impassioned statement that “I am an Indian. I have full faith in the Constitution as well in the judiciary.” He told metropolitan magistrate Lovleen while being produced for remand proceedings: “The media trial against me is painful. If there is evidence against me that I am a traitor, then you please send me to jail. But if there is no evidence against me, there should be no media trial.”

In response to the outbreak of violence in the Patiala Hose complex. the Supreme Court tushed a team of top lawyers with police protection to assess the ground situation hours after it issued a series of directions to ensure peace in the court in the wake of Monday’s violence. “We are concerned about the law and order situation,” a Supreme

Court bench said when senior lawyer Indira Jaisingh told it about the fresh violence, including the assault on Kanhaiya Kumar. The court also said it may appoint a local commissioner to take stock. It asked the counsel for the Delhi police to tell the police commissioner to take action against those indulging in violence irrespective of their profession.

Mr Bassi, meanwhile, coming out of a meeting at the PMO, claimed that there was enough evidence against Kanhaiya Kumar and that people from outside had also come to the controversial event at the JNU, where anti-India slogans had allegedly been raised. “We have adequate evidence against him (Kumar). I won’t be telling you about the process of investigation and what we found out so far,” Mr Bassi told reporters. But then he went on to add that if the student leader applies for bail, his force would not object to it. “I personally feel a young person... (can) perhaps be given bail,” he said.

Several students’ unions of different parties said everyone should wait for the completion of the inquiry on the JNU row and should not indulge in “character assassination” of the university At a joint press conference addressed by the leaders of outfits like the All India Students’ Association (affiliated to CPI-ML), All India Students’ Federation (CPI), the National Students’ Union of India (Congress), the Students Federation of India (CPI-M) and Students’ Forum For Swaraj (SFS), they demanded the immediate release of Kanhaiya Kumar.

The JNU vice-chancellor also appealed to “all” political parties against “interfering” over university matters and said the university was capable of dealing with such issues internally. “I appeal to all political parties to not interfere in this matter. The university can deal with these issues internally.” Condemning the attack on students and teachers at the Patiala House courts on Wednesday, Mr Kumar said: “It was brought to our notice that some of the teachers were manhandled. The university condemns the alleged attack on them and is of the view that the law should be allowed to take its course.”