The Delhi High Court on Thursday restrained Jawaharlal Nehru University from taking any coercive steps against student leader Umar Khalid till Friday, reported IANS. Justice Siddharth Mridul heard the matter.
The varsity had penalised Khalid and former president of JNU Students’ Union Kanhaiya Kumar for their involvement at an event to commemmorate the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru in February 2016, during which several students were accused of shouting “anti-national slogans”.
The court also issued a notice to the varsity seeking a response on Khalid’s plea and listed the matter for further hearing on Friday. Khalid had moved the High Court challenging a high-level committee’s decision to uphold his rustication and a fine imposed on him.
On Wednesday, the High Court told the university to not take any coercive steps against Kumar till Friday. Kumar moved the court on Tuesday against the Rs 10,000 fine imposed on him by the high-level committee. The matter will be heard on Friday.
After the February 9, 2016, event led to outrage from Hindutva groups and a section of the media, JNU set up an inquiry commission. The panel found several students, including Kumar, Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya guilty and imposed fines on them.
The university served show cause notices to 14 students but they refused to accept the panel’s report. Some of the students had been arrested for sedition for allegedly shouting anti-India slogans during the protest.
The JNU then rusticated them and withdrew their hostel facilities, among other punishments. The students challenged the decision in the Delhi High Court, which directed them to approach the appellate authority that was set up to review the high-level panel’s decision.
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