Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya sent to 3-day remand

The office of the assistant commissioner of police, Safdarjung Enclave, turned into a make-shift courtroom after the magistrate arrived, said sources.

The court hearing began at 7.15 pm and the proceedings continued for over an hour. The magistrate and the lawyers were escorted to the police station, where elaborate security arrangements had been made.

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Khalid and Bhattacharya, accompanied by a lawyer and two JNU teachers, had Tuesday night gone to Vasant Vihar police station in a vehicle owned by G4S Security — the company which provides security personnel for the university.

Policemen at the station promptly informed their seniors about the arrival of the two students. Within a few minutes, Khalid and Bhattacharya were taken to R K Puram police station, which also houses the South Campus police station, this time in a police vehicle.

Additional policemen deployed outside R K Puram police station. (Express Photo: Tashi Tobgyal)

Soon, several policemen were deployed at the gate and barricades were put up at both exits of the road next to the police station.

Initially, senior officers tried their best to keep the location of the police station, where Khalid and Bhattacharya had been taken, a secret. It was only much later that they confirmed the duo’s presence at R K Puram police station.

A few senior police officers, including Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Surendra Kumar (South), reached the police station soon.

At 1.35 am, the team probing the case, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Vasant Vihar, Kanta Prasad Kukrety, arrived at the station. In the next 45 minutes, 20 additional policemen were deployed in and around the station to beef up security.

Khalid and Bhattacharya were questioned for hours in one of the inspector’s rooms on the ground floor of R K Puram police station, said sources. They were offered food and tea but declined, said sources.

Khalid and Bhattacharya were questioned about the “outsiders” who had taken part in an event on JNU campus — held on February 9 to mark the third anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru’s hanging — where “anti-national” slogans were allegedly raised.Inspector Prabhu Dayal, investigating officer (IO), as well as officials from special staff and special task force of the South district were also present.

At 3.30 am, a team of doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences arrived at the police station and examined both the students.

According to sources, police may request the court to conduct the remand hearing of the students in another venue instead of Patiala House Courts complex, where JNU students’ union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar, also facing sedition charges, was assaulted by a group of lawyers on February 17.

Police will try to keep Khalid and Bhattacharya away from the media and the public due to security concerns, said a police officer.

Police try to use decoys, fail

A plan by Delhi Police to use decoys — to divert the attention of mediapersons waiting outside R K Puram police station, where Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya had been taken — was foiled after journalists realised that the two JNU students were still inside.

Additional personnel were deployed outside the police station, where reporters had started to gather. Due to security concerns, police officers decided to use decoys. Two policemen in plainclothes, with their faces covered in mufflers, sat in a police vehicle, which drove to Vasant Vihar police station.

Some news channels started reporting an ‘update’ about Khalid and Bhattacharya being taken to another police station, but they stopped soon after they realised the students were still inside R K Puram police station.