JNU circumstances have changed, oppose Kanhaiya’s bail now: Bassi

Delhi Police commissioner BS Bassi said on Tuesday circumstances surrounding the Jawaharlal Nehru University sedition row had changed and they were now opposing students’ union president Kanhaiya Kumar’s bail plea as he is “bound to impact investigation”.

“The circumstances there were when I mentioned this (not opposing Kanhaiya’s bail), those have totally changed. Kanhaiya did show some repentance when he issued that appeal. He has denied issuing that appeal. He has made certain false allegations,” Bassi told reporters while talking to them on the police’s plan of action in the case.

Bassi had earlier asserted the police will not oppose Kanhaiya’s bail, maintaining that a young man like him should be given another chance.

The Delhi high court on Tuesday issued a notice to the Delhi Police and asked it file a status report on the bail plea of Kanhaiya.

Kanhaiya was arrested in a sedition case on February 12 after an event held on the university campus against the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. He allegedly shouting anti-India slogans during the rally.

“We have reasonable apprehension that if he will come out on bail, he is bound to impact investigation… influence witnesses… indulge in activities which will be in violation of penal laws. That is why we have opposed the grant of bail to Kanihaiya and we will further oppose the grant of bail to Kanhaiya,” the police commissioner said.

On Tuesday, the HC also agreed to give an urgent hearing to a plea seeking immediate arrest of five JNU students, including Umar Khalid, accused of raising anti-India slogans.

Citing media reports, the petition said that on February 21, the five students wanted in the case resurfaced in JNU at around 8pm, adding that the vice-chancellor refused to give permission to Delhi Police to enter the university campus to arrest the students.

“Hence it is crystal clear from the above mentioned facts that the respondents have no respect for the law of the land and taking the country to ransom by playing dirty politics,” the petition said.

On the police’s stand in the case, Bassi said: “This was a very serious crime, where seditious speeches and slogans were made. We know that after the incident, the people who committed the crime had run away. Now they have come back.”

“Right now, there is no imminent threat to life or property, so we are handling the situation with patience. Our tactics are dynamic in nature. We are waiting that good sense will prevail among them and they will cooperate with law enforcement authorities.”

“If we feel that they are unlikely to cooperate, then we have all the options available and we will not be shy of using them,” he said.

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