'Clean chit' to Kanhaiya, not UmarDistrict magistrate's report hints he raised Kashmir slogans first
Last Updated IST
Arrested JNU student Syed Umar Khalid presumably raised the first slogans on Kashmir at the February 9 event in the university over which a sedition case was filed by Delhi Police, a magistrate's report has said.
But the report appeared to doubt if Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar himself shouted any anti-India slogans.
The report by New Delhi district magistrate Sanjay Kumar, who was asked to conduct the probe by Delhi government, also pointed at the doubts in the minds of policemen on whether “Pakistan zindabad” slogans were at all shouted in the university.
The magistrate hinted at the absence of eyewitnesses to Khalid and Kanhaiya Kumar's alleged shouting of anti-national slogans.
“It could be presumed that Khalid was the first speaker and initial slogans were raised by him, which were: Kashmir ki janta sangharsh karo, hum tumhare saath hain...,” the report said seeking investigation into his role.
The 26-page report said: “Though hardly visible from any side, many security guards have identified his voice to be the first that emerged from the crowd.”
It said Kanhaiya Kumar arrived at the scene to sort out an argument between two groups and was not shouting anti-India slogans, the alleged offence for which he was booked.
The report said nothing adverse could be found against Kumar and that no witness or video was available to support allegations against the student union president who was released from Tihar on bail on Thursday. The report confirmed that anti-national slogans were shouted on the campus and policemen in civil dress were present at the venue but refrained from interfering at that volatile stage.
It said Khalid, a PhD student who hails from Amravati district in Maharashtra, had sought permission from the University authorities for poetry reading from the book “The Country without a Post Office” at Sabarmati Dhaba and put the strength of the expected gathering at seven.
The report indicated that despite cancellation of permission Khalid and a “core group of around 10-15 students raised slogans. The role of Khalid should be “investigated further,” it said.
On Khalid’s role, the magistrate noted: “I have shown the video of this footage to two-three witnesses, here they claimed the first voice resembles that of Khalid, thereafter, second voice is of Anirban and then Ashutosh.”
In one of its major findings, the magistrate said Khalid was visible in many videos. His support for the role of Kashmir and Afzal Guru is known and he was the organiser of the event.
“Many students from outside university especially some Kashmiri students joined this group,” said the report.
The magistrate raised suspicion about presence of outsiders of Kashmiri descent — identified through their accent — and claimed that the JNU administration later identified faces of a few people who were clearly heard raising slogans.
The magistrate also raised suspicion about tutoring of witnesses, including employees of private security agency G4S, who changed their statements.
It said the security agency’s manager Devender Singh Bist and guard Amarjeet Singh first gave statements that Umar Khalid started shouting slogans but later changed their stands by claiming that they did not hear “anyone specifically uttering those words” and attributed the slogans to the crowd.
The magistrate noted that Singh admitted during repeated questioning that he memorised the police “Daily Diary entry for the sake of originality and authenticity”.
On the police FIR, the report said “Pakistan Zindabad” slogans were not heard in a TV channel’s raw footage or transcripts of videos shot by JNU security staff.”
“Unlike other slogans, the “Pakistan Zindabad” slogan is mentioned in the FIR in inverted commas...This shows the presence of doubts in the mind of police regarding the raising of the slogan,” it said.
The magistrate also noted that “three out of seven videos which were sent for the verification were found to be doctored including one news clipping of a News Channel found on YouTube.
But the report appeared to doubt if Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar himself shouted any anti-India slogans.
The report by New Delhi district magistrate Sanjay Kumar, who was asked to conduct the probe by Delhi government, also pointed at the doubts in the minds of policemen on whether “Pakistan zindabad” slogans were at all shouted in the university.
The magistrate hinted at the absence of eyewitnesses to Khalid and Kanhaiya Kumar's alleged shouting of anti-national slogans.
“It could be presumed that Khalid was the first speaker and initial slogans were raised by him, which were: Kashmir ki janta sangharsh karo, hum tumhare saath hain...,” the report said seeking investigation into his role.
The 26-page report said: “Though hardly visible from any side, many security guards have identified his voice to be the first that emerged from the crowd.”
It said Kanhaiya Kumar arrived at the scene to sort out an argument between two groups and was not shouting anti-India slogans, the alleged offence for which he was booked.
The report said nothing adverse could be found against Kumar and that no witness or video was available to support allegations against the student union president who was released from Tihar on bail on Thursday. The report confirmed that anti-national slogans were shouted on the campus and policemen in civil dress were present at the venue but refrained from interfering at that volatile stage.
It said Khalid, a PhD student who hails from Amravati district in Maharashtra, had sought permission from the University authorities for poetry reading from the book “The Country without a Post Office” at Sabarmati Dhaba and put the strength of the expected gathering at seven.
The report indicated that despite cancellation of permission Khalid and a “core group of around 10-15 students raised slogans. The role of Khalid should be “investigated further,” it said.
On Khalid’s role, the magistrate noted: “I have shown the video of this footage to two-three witnesses, here they claimed the first voice resembles that of Khalid, thereafter, second voice is of Anirban and then Ashutosh.”
In one of its major findings, the magistrate said Khalid was visible in many videos. His support for the role of Kashmir and Afzal Guru is known and he was the organiser of the event.
“Many students from outside university especially some Kashmiri students joined this group,” said the report.
The magistrate raised suspicion about presence of outsiders of Kashmiri descent — identified through their accent — and claimed that the JNU administration later identified faces of a few people who were clearly heard raising slogans.
The magistrate also raised suspicion about tutoring of witnesses, including employees of private security agency G4S, who changed their statements.
It said the security agency’s manager Devender Singh Bist and guard Amarjeet Singh first gave statements that Umar Khalid started shouting slogans but later changed their stands by claiming that they did not hear “anyone specifically uttering those words” and attributed the slogans to the crowd.
The magistrate noted that Singh admitted during repeated questioning that he memorised the police “Daily Diary entry for the sake of originality and authenticity”.
On the police FIR, the report said “Pakistan Zindabad” slogans were not heard in a TV channel’s raw footage or transcripts of videos shot by JNU security staff.”
“Unlike other slogans, the “Pakistan Zindabad” slogan is mentioned in the FIR in inverted commas...This shows the presence of doubts in the mind of police regarding the raising of the slogan,” it said.
The magistrate also noted that “three out of seven videos which were sent for the verification were found to be doctored including one news clipping of a News Channel found on YouTube.