Kanhaiya Kumar and 9 others charged for…

NPnews24Online NEW DELHI:   It’s been a long time, Kanhaiya Kumar, former President of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union is away from the spotlight but now, he is back on track. Charge-sheet has been filed against him, Umar Khalid and eight others for allegedly holding an “anti-national” event at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi in February 2016.

The police said they have evidence to proceed against former JNU Students’ Union leaders Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya and seven students from Jammu and Kashmir.

They have been accused of organising an event on the college campus against the hanging of Parliament-attack mastermind Afzal Guru. Their arrests then had triggered a huge controversy with the opposition slamming the police for “working at the behest of the ruling BJP.”

Reacting to the 1,200-page charge-sheet, Kanhaiya Kumar said it is “politically motivated. If the news is true that a charge-sheet has been filed, I would like to thank police and Modi ji. The filing of charge-sheet after three years, ahead of elections, clearly shows it to be politically motivated. I trust the judiciary of my country.”

Umar Khalid denied the allegations against him. “The government is trying to divert attention and change the narrative in an election year to hide their failure. We will fight the case and prove our innocence,” Mr Khalid told NDTV.

The police said there is no direct evidence against 36 other accused, including Communist Party of India leader D Raja’s daughter Aprajita, but they can be summoned for questioning.

Three policemen were seen carrying the 1,200-page charge-sheet, kept inside a trunk, to Patiala House Court before the police finally submitted it to the court.

Eyewitnesses, the police said Kanhaiya Kumar was seen raising anti-national slogans at the event three years ago, adding they have a video that shows him speaking clearly. “The investigation was complex as the team also had to visit other states to take statements,” Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik had said last week.