Cops await govt nod in JNU sedition case

NEWDELHI:THE Delhi government was yet to give the go-ahead to Delhi Police to prosecute Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya for sedition, a day before a city court was set to hear the charge sheet against 10 people, including the three former Jawaharlal Nehru University student union leaders, for allegedly shouting antinational slogans in 2016.

Until late Tuesday night, the home minister was yet to approve or decline the prosecution sanction the police need to proceed with the case in court. The court will take cognisance of the charge sheet and begin the process to frame charges only after the Delhi government’s green light.

Delhi government officials said the police had sent a copy of the chargesheet to the home department just two hours before they submitted it in court.

Under the Code of Criminal Procedure, investigating agencies have to take the approval or sanction from the state government while filing charge sheets in sedition cases.

A senior government official, who did not wish to be named, said the file is with Delhi home minister Satyendar Jain. According to government records, the file reached the home minister on January 21.

It was sent to Jain by the principal secretary (home). But, ever since, the file has remained with the minister.

“It took police three years to file the charge sheet. How can they expect the government to read and approve the file in a week? Things don’t work this way. One has to understand the case and the listed evidence. The minister neither approved the prosecution sanction nor denied it,” the Delhi government official said on condition of anonymity.

A media adviser to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said: “The Delhi government’s stand will be conveyed to the court by the police whenever the case comes up next.”