Delhi Court questions police chargesheet, says filed without approval'

New Delhi: A court here questioned the Delhi Police on Saturday for filing charge sheet against former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar and others in the 2016 JNU sedition case without procuring the requisite sanctions.

"Why did you file (the charge sheet) without approval? You don't have a legal department," the court asked Delhi Police when presented with the charge sheet against Kanhaiya Kumar.

The police told Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Sherawat they will procure the required sanctions within 10 days.

The Court has now granted time till February 6 to the Delhi Police to procure requisite sanctions for the chargesheet made against Kanhaiya Kumar.

Read: 'Kanhaiya Kumar raised anti-India slogans at JNU,' says chargesheet

The court is likely to resume hearing on the matter soon. The Delhi Police had on January 14 filed the charge sheet at a city court against Kumar and others, saying he was leading a procession and supported seditious slogans raised on the varsity campus during an event in February 2016.

Police also charged former JNU students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya for allegedly shouting anti-India slogans during the event held on February 9, 2016, to commemorate the hanging of Parliament-attack mastermind Afzal Guru.

"The filing of chargesheet after three years, ahead of elections, clearly shows it to be politically motivated. I trust the judiciary of my country," he told news agency ANI.

Umar Khalid denied the allegations against him. "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," Mr Khalid told NDTV.

"We are convinced about our innocence, and have full faith in the court," Mr Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya said in a statement.

 

With PTI inputs.