SC To Hear Kamini Jaiswal's Plea Seeking SIT Probe Into Attacks On Kanhaiya Kumar Inside Court Premises On Dec 5

The Supreme Court on Tuesday decided to hear advocate Kamini Jaiswal’s petition seeking to institute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the incidents of attacks on then JNU students’ union leader Kanhaiya Kumar on February 15 and 17, 2016, at Patiala House Court while he was escorted to the courtroom in a sedition case.

A bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi said: “We would like to examine the petition (Jaiswal’s plea) in the light of reports filed by Delhi Police and also by the Delhi High Court.” The Bench has posted the matter to December 5.

The bench, however, disposed of another petition which was filed by ND Jayaprakash, an activist and JNU alumnus, for the protection of Kanhaiya and tightening of security around the court complex.

In the plea, Jaiswal had also sought a direction to issue suo motu contempt proceeding against three advocates, accused of interfering in the administration of justice and for willfully violating the orders of the Supreme Court dated February 17, 2016.

The three lawyers named in the petition are Vikram Singh Chauhan, Yashpal Singh, and Om Sharma.

According to the petition, these three advocates were found to be leading the attacks in the incidents as per various reports, including media reports, and the sting operation aired on India Today news channel.

The petition also cited reports submitted to the Supreme Court by senior advocate Ajit Kumar Sinha, who had gone with a team of five senior lawyers, the Registrar General, High Court of Delhi, and the Delhi Police to inquire into the matter.

On February 12, last year, then Jawaharlal Nehru University students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on the charge of sedition for holding an anti-national event inside the university premises.

He was attacked by the lawyers during his production in the Patiala House Court on February 15. The lawyers had also allegedly assaulted journalists. Subsequently, despite the intervention of apex court and its directions to Delhi Police to strictly maintain law and order in the court complex, the incident was repeated on February 17.