New Delhi: Even as a forensic report claims that two of the seven videos related to the Jawaharlal Nehru University sedition row have been doctored, the Delhi High Court will on Wednesday pass its order on JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar's bail plea.
The court of Justice Pratibha Rani had reserved its order on Monday and castigated the Delhi Police, even asking it if it knew what sedition actually means. Kanhaiya Kumar in under arrested for allegedly raising anti-India slogans at an event in the university and has been booked under Indian Penal Code Section 124-A (sedition).
Kanhaiya, who was arrested on February 12, was in police custody till February 17 and was later remanded in judicial custody till March 2. He was allegedly assaulted by a group of lawyers inside the Patiala House Court premises when he was brought for a hearing during the remand proceedings.
Delhi Police on Monday told the High Court that it does not have any video evidence of JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar raising anti India slogans and was relying on three eye witness statements.
This a climbdown from the earlier stance of the Delhi Police that its officers has claimed of having clear evidence, including video, to implicate Kanhaiya in the sedition case.
Delhi Police counsel Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Tushar Mehta said the video they have showed Kanhaiya leading the group, but not of him shouting anti-India slogans.
Justice Pratibha Rani reminded him that "presence at the spot is different from participation in anti-national slogans".
Kanhaiya's lawyer Kapil Sibal told the court that he was at the location only to oppose any fight between the group organising and the one opposing the campus event in memory of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
"Nowhere Kanhaiya was seen shouting any slogan. The court can look into the video. There were some people with covered faces, who were shouting slogans. They have not been arrested. Who were they, have they not yet been identified by the police," Sibal contended.
The bench also asked ASG Mehta why the police personnel present at the JNU event in civil dress not take action immediately if anti-national slogans were raised.
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