Cheers of 'azaadi', 'laal salaam' among JNU students after Kanhaiya gets bail
New Delhi: Cheers of "Azaadi" and "lal salaam" marked the celebrations which broke out among JNU students and teachers camping outside Parliament street police station, the moment they got to know about JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar has been granted bail in a sedition case.
The beating of the traditional JNU daflis with flags of different student organisations being raised marked the happiness and pride of the protesters who had marched to the Parliament from Mandi House this afternoon and waited there for 4 hours for the Delhi High Court to announce its verdict.
"Its a big victory for us in the struggle which has a long way to go. We have been waiting for Kanhaiya to be back on campus ever since he was sent to jail in a sedition case. It's a huge relief for us and we will continue our struggle for Umar and Anirban who are still in jail, " JNUSU Vice President Shehla Rashid Shora said while addressing the gathering.
Lenin, former JNU students union president said, "this will give our movement against the government an unprecedented strength and our faith will be reinforced that truth wins. They tried their best to establish him as a terrorist but could not find a single evidence against him despite their intensive investigation for 18 days".
Kanhaiya, was arrested on February 12 in a sedition case in connection with an event on campus against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.
Five others - Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, Rama Naga, Anant Prakash and Anirban Bhattacharya had gone in hiding since then fearing "mob-lynching".
They resurfaced back on campus 10 days later. While Umar and Anirban surrendered before the police, the remaining three refused to do so but maintained that they are open to questioning by police as and when needed.
Kanhaiya was today granted interim bail for six months by the Delhi High Court, which said that he has to cooperate in the ongoing investigation and has to present himself before the investigators as and when required.
In the 23-page order, the judge said, Kanhaiya would not leave the country without the permission of the trial court and the person standing surety for him shall also furnish an undertaking on the lines similar to that of the accused.
The judge also observed that "during the period spent by petitioner in judicial custody, he might have introspected about the events that had taken place. To enable him to remain in the mainstream at present, I am inclined to provide conservative method of treatment."
The judge said, "Once the decision of releasing the petitioner on interim bail is taken, now the question comes as to what should be the amount for monetary security. In his speech dated February 11, 2016, the petitioner has claimed that his mother works as Anganwadi worker and earns Rs 3,000 per month on which the entire family survives.
"If this aspect is considered, then the amount required to be filled in the personal bond and surety bond cannot be so high as to put him in a position that he cannot avail the interim bail," the judge said.
"The time is ripe that while giving some concession to the petitioner on monetary aspect for purpose of furnishing the bond, he can be required to furnish an undertaking to the effect that he will not participate actively or passively in any activity which may be termed as anti-national.”
"Apart from that, as President of JNU Students Union, he will make all efforts within his power to control anti-national activities in the campus," the high court said.
While laying down the conditions for Kanhaiya's release on interim bail, the high court said that the personal bond of Rs 10,000 and an undertaking with surety, who should preferably be a faculty member of JNU, will be to the satisfaction of concerned Metropolitan Magistrate or the link Magistrate with the condition that "he shall not leave the country without the permission of the court".
