A Delhi Police special cell is planning to summon 30 students for questioning in connection with the February 9, 2016 incident where anti-India slogans were raised inside the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus. Delhi Police had registered a case at Vasant Kunj (North) Police Station. later, the case was transferred to the Special Cell.
Names of Shehla Rashid, Aparajita, daughter of D Raja, Member of Parliament from Tamil Nadu figure in the list of 30 students who have been asked to report to the Investigating Officer (IO).
According to a communiqué sent to the JNU administration, the students have been given three days’ time, from April 27 to April 29, to appear for questioning and have reportedly been asked to be present at the Admin Block from 12 pm onwards.
A senior police officer of the Special Cell told The Pioneer that although a circular in this regard has been sent to the JNU administration, the students were not called for questioning on Thursday.
“Initially, we prepared a list of 30 students, who were allegedly present at the time when anti-national slogans were raised. We have decided that these 30 students will be called for questioning at the Administrative Block and will be grilled at length in the presence of their professors. As and when we deem fit that the statement of any student must be recorded, we will record it under Section 161 of the CrPC,” said a senior police officer.
Police added that these 30 students have been called for questioning strictly on the basis of videos which went viral. “Moreover, in the process of questioning, if these students mention names of their friends or acquaintances who were present with them during the February 9 event, those students too will be asked to join the probe.”
The Patiala House Court in August last year had granted regular bail to arrested JNU Students Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar and two other students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya. A month later, the Delhi High Court had extended the interim relief to Umar and Anirban.
The court directed JNU that interim relief to Umar and Anirban will continue till September 29.
Both had sought directions against the decision of Appellate Authority of JNU with regard to rustication and fines imposed on them, in relation with the February 9 event.
Umar, Anirban and Kanhaiya are being prosecuted by the Delhi Police for allegedly raising anti-India slogans on the JNU campus at a meeting organised on February 9 last year in memory of perpetrator of the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, Afzal Guru.