Kanhaiya attacked by lawyers outside court

JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar sustained minor injuries after being attacked by some lawyers inside Patiala House Courts complex on Wednesday.

“Kumar was being escorted to the courtroom when he was attacked by a large group of lawyers,” said a police officer.

Kumar was reportedly punched, kicked and dragged by the lawyers. The 28-year-old was attacked again when he was waiting in a room before the hearing.

The attackers, however, managed to leave without being stopped by police.

Kanhaiya later told Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen that he was saved by the police. A medical examination was also conducted inside the courtroom and the doctor said Kumar had sustained abrasions.

Kumar’s supporters claimed that he sustained internal injuries and needs to be hospitalised. A team of lawyers sent by the Supreme Court also spoke to Kumar and reported that he was terrorised. Kumar has identified two lawyers who attacked him.

The magistrate has sent Kanhaiya to judicial custody till March 2. He was taken to Tihar Jail from the court amid tight security and sloganeering by lawyers. Police said they will not oppose Kumar’s bail.

Kumar was arrested on February 12 on sedition charges, but his supporters say he has been targeted for publicly criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party.

In open defiance of a Supreme Court order which allowed some presence of journalists in the court on Wednesday, a group of lawyers led by Vikram Chauhan also assaulted a journalist and student before Wednesday’s hearing. Waving the national flag and raising slogans, they also clashed with another group of lawyers.

The clashes erupted despite heavy police deployment on the court complex and the lawyers forced the journalists to leave court premises.

“Police presence did not deter the lawyers from shouting slogans and fighting with journalists and students,” said the journalist. 

The Supreme Court team also reported that they were abused and called ‘agents of Pakistan’.