Delhi Police asks new Kejriwal govt to allow it to prosecute Kanhaiya; CM throws hands up

On Wednesday, the Delhi Police requested the Delhi Government to give clearance so that they could take further the sedition case against former JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar. In a letter to the Delhi Home Secretary, the police requested the government to provide sanction so that they could prosecute him and others in the 2016 JNU Sedition case.

Read: Delhi CM Kejriwal to seek "early decision" on Kanhaiya Kumar's JNU sedition case

In the letter to the Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell, Pramod Kushwah said, "It is requested to expedite the process to accord prosecution sanction under Section 196 CrPC as required for offence under Chapter VI of the IPC, that is, Section 124A IPC."

'I don't have a say': Kejriwal

Earlier on Wednesday, a Delhi court had directed the Delhi government to file a status report till April 3 on the issue of sanctions to prosecute Kanhaiya Kumar and others in the sedition case. While hearing the case, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Purushottam Pathak had also directed the Delhi Police to send a reminder to the city government seeking requisite sanctions to prosecute Kumar. 

Read: "He's a Bihar boy": Prashant Kishor's interesting take on Kanhaiya Kumar

Soon after, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had said that he will ask the department concerned to take an 'early decision' on the prosecution sanction even though he did not have 'a say'. "I don't have a say in the department concerned (home). I cannot change their (department's) decision, but will ask them to decide as soon as possible," Kejriwal told reporters.  

Read: Multiple arrests made after Kanhaiya Kumar's convoy attacked

Sedition case against Kanhaiya Kumar

The police have charged Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid, and Anirban Bhattacharya for raising 'anti-national slogans' during an event organized in college. This event had been organized to mark the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The police in its January charge sheet claimed that there were videos wherein Kanhaiya Kumar was seen leading a group of students. According to the sheet, a few witnesses also identified the group of students raising anti-national slogans on the JNU campus. Republic TV had accessed the relevant videos.

Read: Stones hurled at Kanhaiya Kumar's convoy again in shocking attack; Eighth in two weeks

(With Agency Inputs)