Delhi HC Stays JNU Disciplinary Action Against Umar, Anirban

The court granted protection to both students who had sought the same relief that was given to Kanhaiya Kumar.

File photo of Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya. (Photo: The Quint)

The Delhi High Court, on Friday, put on hold the disciplinary action taken by JNU administration against students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, accused of sedition in connection with a 9 February event, till their appeals against the decision are decided by the university’s appellate authority.

Justice Manmohan granted Umar and Anirban the same relief that was given to Kanhaiya Kumar and others against whom disciplinary action was taken by the varsity.

This court is of the opinion that the petitioners (Khalid and Bhattacharya) are entitled to same order as passed by this court on 13 May 2016...,

Court’s Verdict

While Khalid was rusticated for one semester and slapped with a fine of Rs 20,000, Bhattacharya was rusticated till 15 July and after 23 July, he was barred from the university campus for five years.

Bhattacharya was only given a week between 16-22 July to complete his thesis.

The high court had on 13 May granted relief to Kanhaiya and others after the student body had undertaken to immediately withdraw the hunger strike and not to indulge in any further agitation.

During the hearing, the court clarified that if the appeals of the two students are rejected, then the appellate authority’s order would not be in effect for a period of two weeks.

It said the protection granted to Khalid and Bhattacharya was conditional and the student body would not indulge in any protests or ‘dharna’.

Khalid and Bhattacharya have said in their applications that they would be moving the appellate authority against the disciplinary action taken by JNU on the basis of recommendations of a high-level enquiry committee (HLEC).