A six-member panel of lawyers appointed by the Supreme Court on Wednesday said Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union President Kanhaiya Kumar was badly beaten up by lawyers outside Patiala House Court on February 15 and 17. According to the Deccan Chronicle, the panel released a report on Wednesday blaming the police for failing to maintain law and order, and confirmed that journalists were assaulted too.
The news report claimed the committee mentioned that both the students and journalists were subjected to bad language, and pelted with flowerpots, pebbles and water bottles. The panel is believed to have said: “Abuses were hurled at Mr. Kapil Sibal [Kumar’s lawyer] and all other committee members. There was an effort create an atmosphere of fear and terror.” It also claims that two people attacked Kumar inside the courtroom but the police did not step in.
However, the police has denied these claims of inaction, saying they are often criticised for using “excessive force” against lawyers and thus showed restraint at the court. The report could not be independently verified.
Kumar's advocates on Wednesday had moved the Supreme Court asking for an SIT probe into the sting operation video that shows the role of three lawyers in the violence – Vikram Singh Chouhan, Yashpal Singh and OP Sharma. The advocates also filed a writ petition asking for contempt of court proceedings to be initiated against them.
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