The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the Delhi Police to submit a status report of its investigation in the sedition case registered against JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, who has moved the court seeking bail and challenging his arrest in the matter. The case pertains to some slogans allegedly raised at an event on the varsity campus opposing the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
A battery of lawyers led by senior advocate Kapil Sibal appeared before the Bench of Justice Pratibha Rani, even as the counsel for Delhi Police opposed the bail plea. While Mr. Sibal represented the Supreme Court’s panel which visited Patiala House Court on the day it witnessed violence, Mr. Kumar was represented by lawyer Rebecca John.
During the brief hearing, the court said it would not hear the bail plea without the police status report. The court adjourned the hearing to Wednesday after directing the police to file the status report by Wednesday morning.
The hearing also witnessed an altercation between the Delhi government and Delhi Police lawyers over representing police in the High Court. Security was beefed up on the High Court premises to avoid the repeat of > violence witnessed twice in Patiala House Court last week during Mr. Kumar’s remand proceedings.
