Kanhaiya actually organised the event in JNU, foreign elements were present: Police to court

New Delhi

JNUSU President and left wing cadre Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested on sedition charge for anti-India event in JNU campus, had not only participated in the event where anti-national slogans were allegedly raised in the JNU campus but had “actually organised” the programme, Delhi Police today told the Delhi High Court.

In its 13-page status report filed before Justice Pratibha Rani, the police claimed that besides Kanahiya and other accused persons, some “foreign elements” were also present during the event on February 9 in JNU and they had covered their faces to hide their identity.

“During the course of the investigation, statements of various eye-witnesses, who were found present on the spot, were recorded. It has come during the course of investigation that accused Kanhaiya, the petitioner herein (for bail), not only participated in the said event but actually organised the same in connivance with other accused persons,” the police said in its status report.

It said, “It is pertinent to mention here that shockingly the incident dated February 9 records the presence of foreign (elements) with their mouths covered which sufficiently came during the course of investigation.

“The investigation agency is looking for linkage between the petitioner (Kanhaiya), his co-accused and the said foreign elements who were hiding their identity by covering their faces,” it said.

While opposing Kanhaiya’s bail plea, the police said that it was “an open secret” that the event has ramification not only within India but has “an international impact” as well.

The investigation of the present case is at a stage and in case the liberty of bail is granted to the petitioner, the very line of investigation will be adversely affected, it said.

The status report, which was filed in pursuance to the court’s direction, said that the unedited video footage of the incident, which was procured from a private news channel, was “not the footage which is being debated as ‘doctored’ in various sections including petitioner as alleged by the media”.

“But it is a totally different and contemporaneously recorded raw unedited video footage. However, video is not the sole evidence on the basis of which the investigation is proceeding with,” it said.

The status report was filed in the court during the hearing on Kanhaiya’s bail plea which has now been posted for February 29.

JNU row: new video showing ‘outsiders’ surfaces

New Delhi

A new video, showing alleged outsiders raising anti-India slogans during a controversial February 9 event in JNU, has given a fresh twist to the case even as police informed the Delhi High Court about presence of some “foreign elements” at the gathering.

The youths, whose faces appear covered, are seen raising slogans against India in the video and police said it is examining the authenticity of the video.

PhD scholar of JNU Umar Khalid, one of the organisers of the event who had surrendered to police last night, is visible in the video but is not seen raising slogans.

Police said it has shortlisted photographs of eight persons who are suspected to be outsiders and allegedly involved in anti-national sloganeering at the event. But they are yet to be identified.

The video surfaced on a day the Delhi Police, in its status report filed in the High Court, claimed that besides JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and other accused persons, some “foreign elements” were also present during the event who had “covered” their faces to hide their identity.

The report said, “It is pertinent to mention here that shockingly the incident dated February 9 records the presence of foreign (elements) with their mouths covered which sufficiently came during the course of investigation.”

Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi yesterday had said some of the youths who allegedly raised seditious slogans at the JNU event were outsiders.

Several videos of the event have surfaced since the row broke out leading to police arresting Kumar on charges of sedition from the campus triggering widespread protests.

Khalid and another student Anirban Bhattacharya surrendered last night after 10 days in hiding.

With inputs from agency