JNU Sedition Case: Chargesheet Filed Against Kanhaiya Kumar & Umar Khalid

Almost three years after the alleged slogans were raised in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the Delhi Police on Monday filed a 1200-page chargesheet under various sections in connection with the 2016 incident.

The police reached Delhi’s Patiala House Court to file the charge sheet in the JNU sedition case. The charge sheet was filed under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 124A (sedition) , 323 (voluntarily causing hurt.) , 465 (forgery) , 471 (using as genuine, forged document) , 143 (punishment for unlawful assembly) , 149 (unlawful assembly with common object) , 147(rioting) , & 120B (criminal conspiracy).

Patiala House Court will consider the charge sheet on Tuesday, 15 January.

The charge sheet was filed against at least 10 persons, including student leaders Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid, and Shehla Rashid.

They are accused in a sedition case that involved that use of “anti-national slogans” by JNU students during an event on 9 February 2016 held to protest the hanging of Parliament attack mastermind Afzal Guru.

Kanhaiya called the filing of the charge sheet “politically motivated.”

“If the news is true that a charge sheet has been filed, I would like to thank police and Modi Ji. The filing of charge sheet after 3 years, ahead of elections clearly shows it to be politically motivated. I trust the judiciary of my country,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.

CPI leader D Raja’s daughter Aparajita Raja has also reportedly been named in the charge sheet. The other names include Aquib Hussain, Mujeeb Hussain, Muneeb Hussain, Umar Gul, Rayeea Rasool and Bashir Bhat.

Kanhaiya and Khalid along with Anirban Bhattacharya, who has also been named in the charge sheet, were arrested the same year for allegedly organizing the event. All three got bail soon after their arrest.

Kanhaiya’s arrest turned him into a national political figure. He is now all set to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Begusarai in Bihar on a CPI(M) ticket. According to Times Now, both Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress are expected to extend their support to him.

Delhi Police commissioner Amulya Patnaik said last week that the case is “in the stage of finalization.”

He also said Investigation was complex as the team also had to visit other states for taking statements.

Law Corner

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