JNU Sedition Row: Delhi Police to Question 31 Students in 3 Days

More than a year on, and the Delhi Police Special Cell hasn’t yet filed a chargesheet in the case.

Kanhaiya Kumar speaking in JNU on 3 March 2016. (Photo: PTI)

In a letter to the Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, the special cell of Delhi Police has asked for 31 students to be present at the university campus on 27, 28 and 29 April for questioning in connection with an event held in February 2016 during which anti-India slogans were allegedly raised.

The letter says:

For the purpose of investigation, some students of JNU are to be interrogated in this case. You are hereby informed through this notice to direct the following students of JNU to remain present at the administrative block of JNU to join the investigation of the above said on any date during 27, 28 and 29 April after 12:00 noon onwar

JNUSU Vice President Shehla Rashid is not among not those named in the list.

The letter was written to the JNU’s Vice Chancellor on 26 April and marks the latest development in the year-long investigation into the episode, which had led to JNU Students Union President Kanhaiya Kumar, and JNU students Anirban Bhattacharya and Umar Khalid being charged with sedition and later arrested.

The notice was sent to the JNU Vice Chancellor under Section 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CRPC). The section empowers police officers to seek the presence before him/her of any person who in their opinion appears to be acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case.

The section empowers a police officer to require attendance before him/her of any person within the limits of their own police station or adjoining police station, who in their opinion appears to be acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case

The controversial event commemorated the 2002 Parliament attack convict, where allegedly anti-national slogans were raised.

On 9 February 2016, JNU students had held an event to protest the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The police is yet to file a chargesheet in the case.