A Delhi court on Wednesday sent JNU students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya facing the charge of sedition, who surrendered on Tuesday late night, to three-day police custody. Police had sought seven-day police custody of the duo.
Having burnt its fingers during the production of JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar in Patiala House Court where he was allegedly beaten by the lawyers, the Delhi Police on Wednesday convinced the court that the hearing may be heard in South Campus Police Station keeping in mind the security of the accused persons.
The Metropolitan Magistrate went to the South Campus police station where tight security arrangements were made to prevent any untoward incidents. Police had barricaded the entire area and nobody was allowed to go near the police station premises.
Meanwhile, Aushtosh Kumar, Rama Naga and Anant Prakash who are also accused of raising anti-India slogans have not surrendered as of yet.
After Umar and Anirban surrendered before police, an uneasy calm prevailed on the varsity campus on Wednesday amid confusion whether three more students will adopt the same approach as they maintained that they will not surrender. Umar, Anirban, JNUSU General Secretary Rama Naga, Ashutosh Kumar and Anant Prakash went missing from the varsity campus since February 12 after Kanhaiya was arrested.
On Tuesday, declining to pass any immediate order on their plea for “safe surrender” and indicating that it would take up the matter in detail on Wednesday, the Delhi High Court had suggested Khalid and Anirban to surrender and “follow due procedure”.
Justice Pratibha Rani, while declining to pass any order for “interim protection”, mentioned that the trial court would be looking into the matter of police remand, and that a person arrested by police had to be produced before the trial court within 24 hours.