A Delhi court on Saturday allowed the custodial interrogation of two JNU students, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya — by two more days — arrested in a sedition case for allegedly organising a controversial event at JNU on February 9 where anti-India slogans were raised and Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru hailed.
In a relative development, Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi said the sedition case has been transferred to the force’s counter-terrorism unit Special Cell. “I have directed my officers to transfer the case to Special Cell as the matter needs focused investigation.
In a case registered under Section 124 A (Sedition), the Special Cell shall do justice,” Bassi told reporters. The process of transfer will take around two days.
Besides JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar, and Anirban, the other students allegedly involved in the case are Rama Naga, Ashutosh Kumar and Anant Prakash. Ashutosh has joined the investigation with the Delhi Police.
Police claimed that around 22 people present at the flashpoint JNU event, including some outsiders, have been identified after the joint interrogation of Umar, Anirban and Kanhaiya.
Umar and Anirban were earlier sent to three days’ police remand on February 24, after their midnight surrender and subsequent arrest in the case. The duo had returned to the JNU campus last Sunday after going missing since February 12.
Earlier, the Delhi High Court had ordered that “confidentiality” be maintained during the remand proceedings of Umar and Anirban, besides Kanhaiya, while directing police to ensure that no one “suffers even a scratch” and there is no ruckus this time after Kanhaiya was assaulted by ‘lawyers’ at Patiala House Court on February 17.