In an open defiance of the Supreme Court order, a group of men in lawyers' robes barged into the Patiala House court complex and assaulted a journalist and student ahead of the hearing in the sedition case involving JNU students’ union president Kanhaiya Kumar.
The group, which was seen raising slogans “Vande Mataram” and waving the India flag in the court premises, was led by Vikram Chauhan, one of the lawyers >who had attacked the JNU students and faculty on February 15 .
Reacting to the events, the apex court rushed a team of lawyers with police protection to assess the ground situation in the court, hours after it had issued a series of directions to ensure peace in the court in the wake of Monday’s violence.
The Supreme Court was informed by senior advocate Indira Jaising that Kumar was attacked in the court premises.
'Media trial against me is painful'
"I have said earlier too. I am an Indian. I have full faith in the Constitution as well as the judiciary of the country,” Kumar told metropolitan magistrate Lovleen when he was produced for remand proceedings.
“The media trial against me is painful. If there is evidence against me that I am a traitor, then you please send me to jail. But if there no evidence against me, there should be no media trial,” he said in a statement at the start of the proceedings.
JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar arrives at the Patiala House Court complex. Video: ANI
Live updates:
5:20 pm: Send me to jail if there is evidence against me. If not there should be no media trial against me: Kanhaiya.
5:19 pm: I am an Indian. I have full faith in the Constitution as well as the judiciary of the country: Kanhaiya Kumar in court.
4:52 pm: We have followed norms of prudent policing, the Police Comissioner says.
4:50 pm: The SC will take up the Patiala court incidents matter tomorrow.
4:46 pm: Dushyant Dave says he will release to the Press a hand-written letter by a hurt Kanhaiya Kumar, saying 'I believe in the Constitution'.
4:43 pm: The Supreme Court asks the senior lawyers' panel and the Delhi High Court Registrar General to file their report tomorrow on today's incidents at the Patiala House Court complex.
4:42 pm: Summons have been issued to three lawyers and BJP MLA O.P. Sharma in connection with assault on journalists: B.S. Bassi
4:37 pm: Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi takes responsibility in the Supreme Court for the safety of Kanhaiya Kumar, journalists and lawyers trapped in Patiala House.
4:33 pm: The police say JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar has sustained internal injuries.
4:22 pm: Doctor have been called to the court premises to provide medical aid to Kanhaiya who was assaulted by a group of lawyers.
3:58 pm: Kanhaiya Kumar remanded to judicial custody till March 2 by court.
Reports of shoe being flung at Kanhaiya's lawyer >@KapilSibal at >#PatialaHouse court >@DelhiConnect>@the_hindu>@abaruah64
— Shubhomoy Sikdar (@sshubho) >February 17, 2016
3:39 pm: Kapil Sibal is reluctant to be part of lawyers' team, says 'it is politics'. The Supreme Court asks him to go the court premises as an officer of the court.
3:34 pm: Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi: "Action as per the law should be taken, and I will seek an explanation from Police chief B.S. Bassi."
3:27 pm: The Supreme Court makes the Delhi Police counsel Ajit Sinha to call up Police Commissioner Bassi in open court, directs him to extricate the lawyers the lawyers, journalists trapped inside Magistrate court.
3:24 pm: Lawyers appearing in the case trapped inside the courtroom along with the journalists and the judge. The Room locked from inside as lawyers prowl the court premises, SC told
3:23 pm: A six-member team of lawyers — Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhavan, Dushyant Dave, A.D.N Rao, Ajit Sinha and Harin Raval — rushed to Patiala House court.
3:17 pm: The SC is also informed by some counsel about stone-pelting incident in Patiala House court complex - PTI
3:16 pm: We are concerned about the law and order situation, says the SC.
3:14 pm: The Supreme is informed by senior advocate Indira Jaising that Kanhaiya Kumar has been attacked in court premises - PTI
3:11 pm: Reports coming in, suggesting that stones are being pelted at journalists from inside at the Patiala House Court.
3:07 pm: The Supreme Court rushes a team of lawyers with police protection to assess the ground situation at Patiala House court.
2:31 pm: The Supreme Court gives the Delhi Police counsel 10 minutes to ascertain that violence is still happening in Patiala House court complex.
2:20 pm: A journalist present at the court said the clashes erupted in the court complex and the police presence did not deter the ‘lawyers’ from shouting slogans and assaulting others.
11:30 am: The Supreme Court had >restricted the number of people inside the courtroom , allowing only five reporters and two supporters of the arrested students to attend the hearing.
The apex court had acted on a petition that alleged that the police were a “mute spectator to the brazen display of brute force” on February 15.
