"Don't take coercive step against Kanhaiya till July 20"
Delhi HC today directed JNU not to take any coercive step on a fine imposed against its former Students' Union President Kanhaiya Kumar till July 20. A JNU panel imposed Rs. 10,000 fine on Kumar in connection with a Feb'16 incident in which anti-India slogans were raised against Afzal Guru's hanging. Kumar yesterday challenged the fine imposed on him in the HC. Here's more.
Substitute judge asks to wait till July 20
Justice Rekha Palli, a substitute for the concerned judge, was hearing the matter and said she hasn't read the file. She said the matter should be listed before the regular-bench on July 20. Senior advocate Rebecca John and advocate Tarannum Cheema, appearing for Kumar, said the urgency was that he's still the university's student and the last date to deposit the fine is today.
What exactly happened on February 9, 2016?
On 9 Feb'16, a poetry-event was held at JNU in connection with the third-anniversary of Afzal Guru's hanging for his role in the attack on Parliament on 13 Dec'01. A high-level panel of JNU had in 2016 recommended a fine of Rs. 10,000 on Kumar.
JNU panel had also recommended Umar Khalid's rustication
The panel also recommended that another student, Umar Khalid, be rusticated in connection with the incident. Besides, financial penalty was imposed on 13 other students for the violation of disciplinary norms. The students had then moved the Delhi High Court, which had directed the university to place the matter before an appellate authority to review the panel's decision.
Authority upheld the decision on Khalid, Kumar
On 5 July, JNU revealed that the appellate authority upheld the decision against Khalid and Kumar and in some cases the penalty has been reduced. Kumar, Khalid, and Anirban Bhattacharya, arrested in Feb'16 on sedition charges in connection with the event, are out on bail.
