JNU Row: SC to hear Kanhaiya Kumar's bail plea today

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to consider a bail plea of JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar on Friday.

Kumar, through his counsels, senior advocate Soli Sorabjee, Raju Ramachandran and Vrinda Grover, filed a petition under Article 32 (writ jurisdiction) of the Constitution, contending that there is a threat to his life following the Wednesday’s incident and so he could not be present before the concerned court.

A bench of Justices J Chelameswar and Abhay M Sapre put the petition for hearing on Friday even as advocate R P Luthra objected to it, contending “the petitioner’s attempt was to terrorise the subordinate courts, investigating agency and surpass the due process.” “There is extraordinary situation prevailing over there, so we are going to hear it,” the bench told him.

Meanwhile, thousands of students from different universities took out a march in Delhi to protest the arrest of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Kanhaiya Kumar on Thursday. Students, sporting T-shirts printed with Kumar’s face, raised slogans for the unconditional release of Kanhaiya and denounced the acts of the BJP government.

Kumar, in his petition, stated, “The situation prevailing in Patiala House Courts is an affront to citizen’s fundamental and human right to access of justice.” He also claimed that he is not a hardened criminal and after the reports suggesting that the Delhi Police had found no evidence against him, he should be allowed bail.

“The atmosphere at the Patiala House Courts complex is not conducive – not for hearing much less for trial,” Kumar said, seeking bail on conditions set by the registrar of the apex court.

Senior advocate Chander Uday Singh, appearing for Subhash Chandran K R, an advocate, sought hearing on a PIL seeking direction for probe by special investigation team into the February 9 incident at JNU – relating to slogan shoutings – and subsequent arrest of Kumar and violence during his production in the trial court.

Chandran claimed to be one of the “many innocent victims of a shocking assault and use of criminal force carried out on February 15 by criminal elements, including advocates, within the premises of the Patiala House Court complex”.The court put his petition also for hearing on Friday.

A panel of lawyers, comprising senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhawan, Dushyant Dave, Harin Rawal and advocate A D N Rao, submitted its report in a sealed cover, including a pen drive of mobile phone recordings, of the violent incidents at trial court undertaken a day before at the instruction of the apex court.

Senior advocate Ajit Kumar Sinha, who represented the Delhi Police, was also sent by the court to take stock of the situation.   “I was asked to sign the report, which I refused. I said until I have gone through it, how can I sign it,” said Sinha.

Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra also filed a report by the Delhi HC’s registrar-general on violence in the trial court, including attack by lawyers on Kumar, his supporters and journalists.