The Delhi High Court on Tuesday held office bearers of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union guilty of contempt of court and fined each of them Rs 2,000. Justice V Kameswar Rao said the students had violated its order, passed in August, disallowing protests within 100 metres of the university’s administrative block.
The judge was hearing a contempt petition that the university administration had filed against JNU Students’ Union President Geeta Kumari, Vice President Simone Zoya Khan, General Secretary Duggirala Srikrishna and Joint Secretary Shubhanshu Singh.
The court said the university administration can request the police to help maintain law and order on the campus if there is evidence that the students are obstructing access to the administrative building.
In its reply to the High Court’s notice in March, the students’ body pointed out the administration had not taken action against other students’ organisations and teachers’ groups that had also held protests within 100 metres of the building. The students told the court that the order should not be viewed “technically” because its spirit was to prevent the obstruction of access to the building.
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