Witnesses, videos, posters listed as evidence by police
CHARGES FILED Statements from 90 witnesses, social media posts, call details also in charge sheet
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Monday said that the statement of around 90 witnesses, 10 cellphone video clips, posters from the protest, social media posts and call detail records of students, organisers and participants of the event at JNU campus wherein “anti-india” slogans were allegedly raised, are the key evidence they have used to establish sedition charges against the former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya and seven others.
Police said they have also charged Umar Khalid with forgery under sections 465 and 471 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) after they found that he had allegedly forged signatures of two JNU students in a letter seeking permission for the event on the campus. The permission to hold the event was, however, denied by the JNU administration.
An officer, on condition of anonymity, said that the police have found “enough evidence” to establish that Umar Khalid had raised anti-national slogans and that he was a key organiser since the pamphlets carried his name along with that of other organisers. “We have collected the call detail records of Umar Khalid and other students and outsiders that confirm that he was in regular touch with them before and during the event. Text messages exchanged between Umar Khalid and Kanahiya Kumar regarding the denial of the event’s permission is also key evidence,” said the officer, adding it was Umar who had invited the seven Kashmiri men to the event.
Two of the seven Kashmiri — Khalid Bashir Bhat and Mujeeb Hussain Gattoo — were students of JNU at that time. Others include Aqueeb Hussain, who is now a dentist and had allegedly raised anti-india slogans; Muneeb Hussain Gattoo, a student of Aligarh Muslim University at the time; Umair Gul, Basharat Ali who were studying at Jamia Milia Islamia; and Rayees Rasool, a freelance journalist.
A senior special cell officer said all the 10 accused persons have been named in the charge sheet on the basis of video evidence and eye-witness statements.
“We have at least 10 witnesses who confirmed that Kahnaiya, Umar and the eight others raised anti-national slogans. They also confirmed that Kanhaiya incited the gathering for raising the slogans. The video footage we have shows Kanhaiya raising hands as slogans were raised,” the officer said on condition of anonymity.
The officer added that JNU’S
A group of JNU students led by JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and former Democratic Students' Union (DSU) member Umar Khalid allegedly organise an event on the campus where ‘anti-india slogans’ are allegedly raised
JNU administration orders a "disciplinary" inquiry into the event. Video footage of the event is aired by a Hindi news channel (Zee News). Former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar completed his PHD from the university’s School of International Studies in 2018. He was associated with Communist Party of India’s student wing All India Students Federation (AISF) during his stint at JNU. He spent two weeks in jail after the incident on sedition charges. He’s likely to contest in 2019 LS polls from Bihar’s Begusarai on a CPI ticket A resident of Delhi, Khalid completed his PHD from JNU’S Centre for Historical Studies in 2018. He is associated with a students’ group Bhagat Singh Ambedkar Student Organisation (BASO). Khalid was allegedly one of the main organisers of the February 9, 2016 incident. He had also spent 24 days in prison on sedition charges. Khalid wants to work for the tribal people in Jharkhand
internal enquiry reports, documents of suspension of some students, and the fine levelled against them have also been used as evidence.
The officer said that a CD handed over by Zee News, which shows the students shouting slogans is also vital evidence in the case. Police have attached a report from the forensic science laboratory, After completing his PHD from Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Centre For Historical Studies in 2017, Anirban Bhattacharya is now working as a researcher with a policy research institute in Delhi. Bhattacharya is also considered as one of the main organisers of the controversial event and he also spent 24 days in prison along with Khalid
which has reportedly ruled out any tampering of the footage. The news channel had run a story about the sloganeering at JNU campus on the basis of a video captured by their cameraperson.
It was on the basis of the news report that the Delhi Police had registered the FIR.
Another official, who did not wish to be identified, said that (All natives of Jammu and Kashmir) time of protest Now working as a dentist
JNU student at the time of protest
Then an Aligarh Muslim University student A student of Jamia Millia Islamia at the
more people have been named in the charge sheet. Their names have been put in which means police are still gathering evidence against them.
These 36 include:
She was the first Kashmiri woman to win a JNUSU post in 2015. A graduate from NIT Srinagar, Rashid was pursuing M.phil at JNU. She is now preparing to write her PHD thesis
among the many eyewitnesses are three police officers — head constable Rambir and constables Karambir and Dharambir — who were wearing plain clothes and were present during the reported sloganeering. “On receiving the information about a rally at the campus, the local police had sent the three officers in plainclothes. They said they saw the persons shouting these House court during Kanhaiya’s case hearing
Freelance journalist at the time of protest
JNU student at the time of protest
Jamia Millia Islamia student at the time of protest
She is pursing PHD from JNU’S Centre for Political Studies and had contested JNUSU polls for post of president in 2017. She is the daughter of Rajya Sabha MP and CPI leader, D Raja
slogans. The fact that they were in JNU that evening had also been mentioned in our police dairy records. Their statements have been recorded,” the officer said.
Others witnesses named in the charge sheet are the security guards, the university’s chief security officer, local police officers and some university students.