Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Monday issued show-cause notice to 21 students involved in controversial February 9 event against the hanging Afzal Guru, after an enquiry panel found them guilty of violating norms. They have been given 48 hours to explain “why action should not be taken against them” by high-level committee constituted to probe the controversy.
The decision was taken on Monday at a meeting of the university’s top brass chaired by Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar in which the report of the five-member enquiry panel probing the issue was discussed.
Sources said, “As per the report, 21 students were found guilty of violating the university rules and discipline norms. It was decided to issue show-cause notices to them and they have been given time till March 16.”
Meanwhile, a team from the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on Monday visited JNU campus to recover the laptops of the two students — Anirban and Khalid — from their hostels for investigation. Both the students continue to be in the custody.
The sources in the JNU told The Pioneer that students may face “debarment”, “rustication” and “fine” on basis of the responses from the students.
Sources also said, “The high level committee has recommended at least five students for debarment from the university, five to seven for rustication for six months while the rest of the students have been proposed to impose fine ranging from `3000 to `10,000.”
Action against the students has been recommended on basis of the “involvement” in the event which created a nationwide row.
“There are standard provisions in the university rules to take action in such cases. The high-level enquiry committee’s recommendations are based on the rules of discipline and proper conduct of JNU,” the official said.
While the official did not divulge names of the students, sources in the university said those issued show-cause notices include the eight students who were debarred earlier in connection with the case and ten of those about whom police had sought information from the University. The source claimed that CPI leader D Raja’s daughter Aprajita is also said to be on the list of the students who were served the notice.
Following the controversy, JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar spent 18 days in jail while two other students — Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya are in judicial custody in a sedition case over the event.
All the eight students who were debarred by the university earlier only from the academic activities are included in the panel report.
The university had on March 11 revoked the academic suspension of eight students including Kanhaiya Kumar in connection with the controversial event on its campus.
The five-member panel was constituted on February 10 by the university, a day after an event to protest the hanging of the Parliament attack convict on his third death anniversary was held during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.
On the basis of a preliminary report by the panel, the varsity had debarred the eight students from academic activity while allowing them to stay as guests in hostels till the enquiry proceedings were over.