Sedition case: Police serve notice to 30 JNU students

A YEAR after a sedition case was registered against three JNU students, the Delhi Police Special Cell has served a notice to 30 students to verify facts relating to the case so that they can prepare a final draft of the chargesheet. Sources said the draft is nearly complete, but “certain things” have to be verified with the students who were involved in organising or were present during the event.

According to the notice, the Special Cell asked 30 students to come to the administration block after 12 pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. However, sources said none of the students turned up on the first day of questioning.

Sources said the names of these students surfaced during the probe. Some of the names which figure in the notice include that of AISA leader Shehla Rashid and CPI national secretary D Raja’s daughter, Aparajitha. Both students were active in protests demanding the release of the three students — former JNU student union president Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya — who were arrested in the case, sources added.

The notice stated, “For the purpose of investigation, some students are to be interrogated in this case. You are hereby informed through this notice to direct the following students of JNU to remain present at the Administrative Block.” However, police said it is a “routine examination”. Sources said more students might be named in the chargesheet.

Condemning the notice, the JNUSU, in a statement, said, “This is another attempt to target students, and ultimately fulfil the government’s criminal agenda of destroying a university...”

Archive A march in support of the three students arrested in the sedition case.