JNU sedition: Delhi govt seeks month's time to grant sanction to prosecute Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and others

The Delhi government on Wednesday sought before a court here a month's time to decide whether to grant sanction to prosecute former JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar and others in the 2016 JNU sedition case. 

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Sherawat directed the AAP government to file a "proper reply", citing a definite time-frame.

DCP of Special Cell of Delhi Police, Pramod Kushwaha, had earlier told the court that the agency has already sent a request to the Delhi government seeking sanction and added that sanction was an administrative action and the charge sheet can be filed without that. 

The Delhi Police had earlier told the court that authorities were yet to give requisite sanctions to prosecute Kumar and others in the case, and it would take two to three months to procure sanctions.

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On January 14, police had filed a charge sheet in the court against Kumar and others, saying he was leading a procession and supported seditious slogans raised in the JNU campus during an event on February 9, 2016

After Patiala High Court told the Delhi police to obtain sanction for its 2016 JNU case charge sheet from the Arvind Kejriwal government, the Delhi chief minister has given a statement over the issue, claiming that the case is being "studied" by the government back in end of February.

While speaking to the media, Kejriwal expressed his dubiety, considering the timing of the charge sheet being filed ahead of the Parliamentary elections. 

He said, "The case is being studied by the government. The Police took three years to file the charge sheet and they filed it without permission, ahead of elections, so it raises many questions."  

Delhi Police had filed a 1200-page charge sheet in the Patiala House court on January 14, carrying in the documentary and electronic evidence in a massive metal box. In the charge sheet, ten persons, including Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were named as main-accused along with seven others, while 36 persons, including Shelha Rashid were named under a list of persons against whom there was insufficient evidence. A few days later, however, the Patiala House Court declined to take cognisance of the charge sheet as the Delhi government hadn't given its sanction. The judge asked the Delhi police why it had filed it without sanction as it didn't have a legal department of its own, with the police responding that the file has been sent but no reply received.

Republic on January 22, accessed the three-year-old video evidence of the anti-India sloganeering at the JNU campus. According to the Delhi Police, the authenticity of the video evidence had been confirmed by Forensic labs, and following the incidence, statements had been taken from students, security guards and staff. 

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The slogans that could be seen and heard being raised in the videos accessed by Republic Bharat, in the pro-Afzal Guru protest, included:

• Halla Bol, Halla Bol. Zor zor se zor se bol, halla bol, halla bol.....(unclear) uncha bol, halla bol, halla bol....(unclear) uncha bol, halla bol, halla bol...(unclear) uncha bol, halla bol, halla bol. 
• (unclear) azaadi. Bandook k bal pe azaadi. (unclear) azaadi.
• Ham kya chahte, azaadi. Afzal tere khoon se, insaaf ayega. Afzal tere khoon se, insaaf ayega. Afzal ham sharminda hai, tere kaatil zinda. Afzal ham sharminda hai, tere kaatil zinda hai'.  
• 'Bharat tere tukde honge, Inshallah, Inshallah. Bharat tere tukde honge, Inshallah, Inshallah. 

(With PTI inputs)