The Special Cell of the Delhi Police created a stir 10 months ago when it arrested then JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and two others — Anirban Bhattacharya and Umar Khalid — on charges of sedition. However, the probe agency is yet to file a charge sheet.
The students were arrested for allegedly raising anti-India slogans at an event organised on campus. At that time, the police had given the impression that no time would be wasted in seeing that they were convicted. The students had been booked under sections 124-A (sedition), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (acts done by several persons with a common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
Now, the probe seems to be stuck. In fact, Kanhaiya Kumar told The Hindu over the phone that he had been interrogated once about eight months back. There has been no communication ever since.
Sedition charge to be dropped?
Interestingly, a section of the media had reported that the Delhi Police may drop the sedition charge against Kanhaiya.
According to lawyers, if the substantive charge of sedition is dropped, the case will fail in the court as the conspiracy offence will not sustain independently.
The police, meanwhile, have released Kanhaiya’s personal belongings, except mobile phones and pen drive, after a court direction.
