JNU Sedition Case : Delhi Police Files Chargesheet Against Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and others

The Delhi Police filed a chargesheet on Monday against former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar and others in a sedition case lodged in 2016.

The police also charged former JNU students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya 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.

The others chargesheeted in the case are Kashmiri students Aquib Hussain, Mujeeb Hussain, Muneeb Hussain, Umar Gul, Rayeea Rassol, Bashir Bhat and Basharat.

As many as 36 others, including Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D Raja's daughter Aprajita, Shehla Rashid (then vice-president of the JNUSU), Rama Naga, Ashutosh Kumar and Banojyotsna Lahiri have been named in column 12 of the chargesheet due to insufficient evidence against them, police sources said.

Metropolitan Magistrate Sumit Anand put up the chargesheet for consideration before a competent court on Tuesday.

The accused have been charged with offences under sections 124A (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).

The chargesheet also contains CCTV footage, mobile footage and documentary evidence.

The police has alleged that Kumar had incited the mob to shout anti-India slogans.

A case was registered on February 11, 2016 under sections 124A and 120B of the IPC against unidentified persons at the Vasant Kunj (North) police station, following complaints from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Maheish Girri and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

The said event had taken place despite the university administration cancelling the permission, following a complaint from the ABVP, which had termed it as "anti-national".

Following is the chronology of events of the sedition case in which the Delhi police Monday filed a charge sheet against former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and others:

-Feb 9, 2016: Protest march held in JNU campus to commemorate the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

-Feb 10: JNU administration orders a "disciplinary" inquiry into the event.

-Feb 11: Delhi Police registers case against unknown persons following complaints by BJP MP Maheish Girri and RSS's student front ABVP.

-Feb 12: Kanhaiya Kumar arrested, sparking massive outrage among students.

-Feb 12: Kanhaiya remanded in three days police custody by Delhi court in sedition case.

-Feb 15 : Violence in Patiala House courts with lawyers attacking journalists, JNU students and teachers dubbing them anti-nationals ahead of hearing in Kanhaiya's sedition case.

-Feb 15: Two FIRs registered in connection with Patiala court attack.

-Feb 17: Another scuffle in Patiala House Court as men dressed in lawyers' robes allegedly beat up scribes and students ahead of hearing in Kanhaiya's case.

-Feb 18: Kanhaiya files bail application in Supreme Court.

-Feb 19: SC transfers bail plea to Delhi HC, asks police to ensure proper security.

-Feb 19: Kanhaiya moves HC for bail.

-Feb 23: Police opposes bail plea of Kanhaiya in HC.

-Feb 23: JNU students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya move HC seeking police protection prior to surrender.

-Feb 24: Umar and Anirban arrested.

-Feb 25: Delhi court sends jailed Kanhaiya to one day police custody.

-Feb 26: Court sends Kanhaiya to Tihar Jail.

-Mar 2: HC grants six months interim bail to Kanhaiya.

-Mar 3: Delhi court orders Kanhaiya's release from Tihar Jail.

-Aug 26: Kanhaiya, Umar and Anirban granted regular bail by Delhi court.

-Jan 14, 2019: Police files chargesheet against Kanhaiya, Umar and Anirban and others under offences of sedition, rioting, criminal conspiracy.

(Image sourced from here)