The arrested JNU Students’ Union president, Kanhaiya Kumar, on Thursday approached the Supreme Court for bail even as his advocate moved another petition seeking a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the assault on him in the Patiala House Courts on Wednesday.
Currently lodged in Tihar Jail, Kumar, through a galaxy of lawyers, appeared before the SC Bench of Justices J Chelameswar and Abhay Manohar Sapre to seek urgent listing of his bail petition. Senior advocate Raju Ramachandran, who appeared along with senior advocate Soli Sorabjee, moved the petition which said, “The petitioner perceives a threat to his life in the prison where there is a great likelihood of an attack on him by his co-prisoners.”
When the Bench wished to know for whom Sorabjee appeared, Ramachandran said, “He will be leading us in this case.” A separate petition moved through one of Kumar’s lawyers KR Subhash Chandran was also mentioned by senior advocate CU Singh. This petition alleged how the complaints of violence perpetrated against the legal team of Kumar fell on deaf ears as till date and the Delhi Police failed to register FIR on their complaint.
The petition not only sought shifting of probe from the Delhi Police, it even sought a court-monitored investigation by an independent and special team. The Bench posted both the petitions on Friday.
The Bar Council of India (BCI), which has so far maintained silence on the violence by lawyers at the Patiala House Courts, appeared in the apex court and submitted that the Council is dealing with the matter seriously. The Bench said, “Your stand is more important in this case.” It allowed BCI chairman Manan Kumar Mishra to submit findings of the BCI which is enquiring into the violence that took place on Monday and Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the six-member lawyers’ delegation that visited the Patiala House Courts on the request of the apex court to assess the ground situation submitted its report in a sealed cover. The report compiled by senior advocate Harin Raval, one of the team members, even submitted a video showing interviews conducted by the team with the accused, his lawyers, and other members who testified about the violence caused by lawyers.
The Delhi High Court Registrar General too submitted its report to the SC. The Registrar General was present during the trial proceeding to oversee the restriction on entry of lawyers and journalists in the courtroom. The report in sealed cover, said sources, has testified that Kumar was beaten on his way to the court but did not support the claim by the six-member lawyers’ team that Kumar was “thumped” by a man inside courtroom. The crucial report by the Delhi Police will be tabled in the apex court on Friday.