HC agrees to hear Umar Khalid’s plea on seeking police protection

New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Tuesday agreed to urgently hear the plea filed by Umar Khalid and another JNU student, who have been accused of sedition, seeking police protection saying they wish to surrender in the case slapped against them.

Khalid, Anant Prakash Narayan, Ashutosh Kumar, Rama Naga and Anirban Bhattacharya, who have been named in a sedition case for allegedly shouting anti-national slogans in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), returned to the campus on Sunday evening two days after Delhi Police issued a lookout notice against them.

Delhi Police commissioner Bhim Sain Bassi has asked the students to join the join the probe and present evidence of their innocence.

“I would say if the police is looking for them then they should join the police investigation. And if they are innocent, they should present evidence of their innocence,” Bassi told reporters on Monday.

When asked if police would enter the JNU campus to arrest the students, the top cop said that his men are competent enough to deal with the situation.

JNU has turned into a fortress as the five students are still at the administration block of the varsity as police are keeping a vigil outside the gates.

(With ANI inputs)