No charge sheet yet in Patiala House violence

Four months ago, multiple instances of attacks on JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and others, including journalists and activists, were reported from the Patiala House Courts complex.

But, despite so much time having passed, the police are nowhere close to filing the charge sheet. No new names have come up, except lawyers Yashpal Singh, Vikram Singh Chauhan, Om Sharma and BJP MLA O.P. Sharma.

‘Probe not professional’

The victims, meanwhile, have slammed the police for the tardy pace of investigation and the overall approach with regard to the incidents of violence.

Advocate Amit Shrivastava, who was allegedly attacked by the same group of lawyers that later attacked Kanhaiya Kumar, journalists and others on February 15 and 17, said the probe has not been conducted in a professional manner. Sharing his opinion as a lawyer and experience as a victim, Mr. Shrivastava said that whenever he approached the investigating officer about the status of the allegations made in his written submission, the replies suggested that no progress was made.

One of these allegations, he added, was that some of the lawyers behind the violence were raising slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ in the presence of JNU students.

It was also alleged that this was used to attack them and provoke others.

Communist Party of India worker Ameeque Jamai, too, questioned the progress of the probe and claimed that BJP MLA O.P. Sharma, who was arrested for attacking him, had continued to threaten him after being granted bail. “I demand that he be re-arrested and harsher provisions be slapped,” said Mr. Jamai.

‘Cops failed in duty’

The committee of lawyers, which was appointed by the Supreme Court to look into the violence at the Patiala House Courts on February 17, had said that the “police failed in their duty to contain the atmosphere and crowd”.

According to senior lawyer Vrinda Grover, this could be another reason for the police not being very active as far as the investigation is concerned. “A fair probe will mean the role of the police is questioned. Maybe this is why the investigation is not moving forward. More than the injuries, the occurrence itself at a court of law is obstruction of justice,” was her reading of the situation.

The Hindu also spoke to half a dozen journalists who were attacked. Despite having submitted statements to the police, none of them came on record. However, some of them did say that that they expected more from the police.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Jatin Narwal, meanwhile, refused to comment.

All four FIRs were written in a similar language after the police took suo motu cognisance of the incident. The probe into one — about the attack on Kanhaiya Kumar — is with the District Investigation Unit (DIU) while the other three are being investigated at the Tilak Marg Police station. Sources said that movement, if any, was expected only in Kanhaiya’s case.