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Published 21:53 IST, September 9th 2019

JNU sedition case: Lawyer writes to Delhi LG on prosecution sanction

SC lawyer Ajay Agarwal in a letter to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal to take action in the prosecution of JNU's Kanhaiya Kumar & others in sedition case.

Reported by: Radhika Laghate
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Supreme Court lawyer Ajay Agarwal wrote a letter on Monday to Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rejected the request for sanction by Delhi police to prosecute Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Student Union President Kanhaiya Kumar and others in the sedition case. He requested Baijal to call for files to refuse or give the sanction of prosecution and said it should not come under the preview of Delhi government.

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What the letter says

In his letter, he expressed that the subject of 'Law and Order' is with Union Home Ministry and Lieutenant Governor and elected government of NCT of Delhi has no control on police. Thus, the power to give or refuse sanction should not come under the preview of Home Ministry of NCT of Delhi. Agarwal further said that a government which has no control on police and does not report to Home Minister of Delhi. Then, the power to prosecute should lie with the Lieutenant Governor and not the Home Minister of Delhi. Hence, Agarwal called in for the files relating to the sanction of prosecution of Kanhaiya Kumar, and nine others in the sedition case and to take appropriate action in this matter.

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Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said on Friday that he denied rejection in this matter while expressing that no decision has been taken regarding the prosecution of Kanhaiya Kumar and others in the sedition case, refuting the prosecution as being just a "speculation". Adding that the decision lies with the concerned authority.

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The sedition case:

In February 2016, some students of the Jawarharlal Nehru University (JNU) held protests shouting anti-India slogans against capital punishment of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat and struggle of Kashmiri migrants. Days after the event, Kanhiaya Kumar and a few others were arrested on charges of sedition. The complaint was lodged under the allegation of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad’s (ABVP) students. On July 23 this year, the Delhi police were granted time till September 18 to obtain the requisite sanction in the case. The police in the charge sheet stated there were videos of Kanhiaya Kumar leading the students and raising anti-national slogans.

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(With ANI inputs)
 

16:24 IST, September 9th 2019