JNU sedition case: Kanhaiya raised anti-India slogans to incite hatred, claims police

New Delhi: Delhi Police has claimed before a court here that former JNU student union leader Kanhaiya Kumar had raised anti-India slogans in 2016 "to incite hatred and disaffection towards the government".

Police cited statements of various witnesses in its charge sheet to state that Kumar was walking along with the protesters where a number of unidentified persons were raising slogans during an event in the university's campus on February 9, 2016, to commemorate the hanging of Parliament-attack mastermind Afzal Guru.

The court will consider the charge sheet on January 19. The matter was listed for Tuesday but since the judge concerned was on leave, the matter was posted for next date of hearing.

The witnesses further said that he was at the crime scene, where other protesters had posters of Guru in their hands.

"It is evident from Kumar's act seen in the video footage/statements of witnesses that he become the part of unlawful assembly, led the unlawful assembly, played active role in riots, raised/supported anti national slogans which lead to violence," the final report said, adding that "Kumar himself raised anti-India slogans to incite hatred and disaffection towards the government established by the law."

The evidence listed by the agency include report of JNU's high-level committee, statement of varsity's Registrar Bhupinder Jutshi and the mobile phone recordings in which Kumar was seen arguing with him over cancellation of the programme.

"Kumar also told him (Jutshi) that they would go ahead with the programme without permission," it said.

Regarding other two former JNU students -- Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya -- the police said they also raised anti-India slogans.

The police said that a video shot by a news channel and those clips shot by students present at the spot, show that Khalid, Bhattacharya and Ashutosh were raising slogans.

"When interviewed by news channels, others in the procession supported and repeated the anti-India slogans," the final report said.

It, however, added that the slogans raised by Ashutosh were not anti-national unlike those by Khalid and Bhattacharya.

Khalid raised slogans as shown in the videos and mobile clips, the police said, citing a video which shows him saying "the programme is against occupation of Kashmir by the Indian State. I am making it very apparent that I am not from Kashmir but I believe that what is happening in Kashmir is Indian occupation of Kashmir..."

A number of videos show Khalid shouting slogans whereas all witnesses confirmed his presence, the charge sheet said.

His mobile phone location was also used as evidence, besides electronic evidence proving his contact with other accused, it said.

The police listed videos where Bhattacharya was shown citing slogans and walking with Kumar, Khalid and others in the procession.

"He also gave a provocative speech," the agency said, including statement of witnesses, JNU high level committee report and mobile phone location as evidence.

Regarding Rama Naga, whose name appear in column 12, the charge sheet said that he delivered speech with contents against RSS.

On 36 others listed in column 2 of the charge sheet, including Ashutosh, Rama Naga, Banojyotsana, Shehla Rashid and Aparajitha Raja, police said that they were not seen raising anti-India slogans.

A case was registered on February 11, 2016 under sections 124A and 120B of the IPC against unidentified persons at the Vasant Kunj (North) police station, following complaints from BJP MP Maheish Girri and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad.

The event had taken place despite the university administration cancelling the permission, following a complaint from the ABVP, which had termed it as "anti-national".