JNU students’ union (JNUSU) president, Kanhaiya Kumar.
The Trial court Wednesday sent JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested on charges of sedition, to 14 days in Tihar Jail, after Delhi police moved a plea for his judicial custody, stating that his custodial interrogation was not required in the case.
The metropolitan magistrate remanded Kanhaiya Kumar to 14 days in Tihar jail. Kanhaiya will be lodged in jail number 3, the high-security prison in Tihar. Kanhaiya’s defence counsel did not move a bail application and told The Indian Express they will do so at an “appropriate time”.
During the proceedings, Kanhaiya moved an application before the court seeking “protection to life and limb”. This came in the backdrop of the assault on him during his arival, despite heavy security deployment.
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Kanhaiya defended himself against the sedition charges he faces. “All the videos were seen by the police but there is no evidence against me,” he said. “I have told the police everything. If I am a traitor, please send me to jail if there is any evidence against me. But if there is no evidence against me, then why is this media trial on. I am an Indian, I have have full faith in the Constitution of the country as well as judiciary of India. Media trial against me is very painful.”
Kanhaiya’s counsel Vrinda Grover told the court that another one of their applications, seeking electronic evidence, should be heard, after which the magistrate fixed the date for hearing on March 2.
“Keeping in view the situation outside the courtroom as well as the statement given, it is directed that the DCP concerned shall ensure the safety of the accused till his transportation to the jail,” the judge said.
“The jail superintendent is directed to take appropriate steps to ensure the safety and security of the accused in the jail and a compliance report be filed by DCP tomorrow, “ the judge added.
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After the proceedings, a Supreme Court-appointed panel arrived. Grover briefed the panel about the assault, after which senior advocate Kapil Sibal and other panel members called DCP Jatin Narwal for an explanation on the assault.
“How can you allow them to attack Kanhaiya? What was your arrangement?” panel members asked the DCP.
Kaunain Sheriff M is an award-winning investigative journalist and the National Health Editor at The Indian Express. He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, an investigation into one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical companies.
With over a decade of experience, Kaunain brings deep expertise in three areas of investigative journalism: law, health, and data. He currently leads The Indian Express newsroom’s in-depth coverage of health.
His work has earned some of the most prestigious honours in journalism, including the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Award, and the Mumbai Press Club’s Red Ink Award.
Kaunain has also collaborated on major global investigations. He was part of the Implant Files project with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which exposed malpractices in the medical device industry across the world. He also contributed to an international investigation that uncovered how a Chinese big-data firm was monitoring thousands of prominent Indian individuals and institutions in real time.
Over the years, he has reported on several high-profile criminal trials, including the Hashimpura massacre, the 2G spectrum scam, and the coal block allocation case. Within The Indian Express, he has been honoured three times with the Indian Express Excellence Award for his investigations—on the anti-Sikh riots, the Vyapam exam scam, and the abuse of the National Security Act in Uttar Pradesh. ... Read More
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JNU students’ union (JNUSU) president, Kanhaiya Kumar.
