New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted bail to student leader Kanhaiya Kumar who was arrested in a sedition case three weeks ago.
The court asked Kumar, president of the of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Students Union, to furnish a personal bond of 10,000 rupees and a surety of the same amount. The high court wanted a JNU faculty member to stand surety. Kumar is currently under judicial custody and lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail.
The court granted 6-month interim bail two days after Justice Pratibha Rani reserved the order after more than three hours of hearing on the bail plea.
The Delhi police accused Kumar of raising anti-India slogans inside JNU campus during an event on February 9.
Kumar was arrested on February 12 amid high drama.
Social media networks such as Facebook erupted into joy after hearing about the bail.
“Constitution and Democracy win. Biased Law and Order machinery fails,” commented Firoz Khan, a Facebook user.
Sabiha Hashmi, another Netizen, termed it as “Great News. Hats off to collective uprising against a fascist regime.”
Mamta Shukla commented, “Satyamev vijayate (truth always prevail).
Kumar came to the court dressed in battle fatigues, a bullet-proof jacket and a helmet that made him look like a member of the anti-riot cell to make sure a violent mob of lawyers failed to spot him.
It was done to prevent repeat of February 17 violence when a mob of lawyers attacked Kumar when he was taken to court.
Police decided to use the disguise after at least 200 lawyers assembled near the courtroom and at the exit gates to stop them from escorting Kumar out of the court premises.
An emergency meeting was called at the police headquarters where senior officers agreed to the exit plan. Several sets of anti-riot gears were brought to the courtroom. Fifty policemen were dressed in the gear, while Kumar was also fitted with a baton and a police helmet with a visor to cover his face.
During the hearing, Kumar’s counsel argued that the student leader had never raised slogans against the nation. The Delhi Police maintained they have evidence to show Kumar and others shouting anti-India slogans and holding posters of Afzal Guru, who was executed for his alleged involvement in an attack on the Indian Parliament.
Police had claimed that Kumar was “not cooperating” in the probe and even came out with “contradictory” statements in joint interrogation by Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Delhi Police.
The defense lawyers including senior advocate Kapil Sibal had countered the allegations saying there were “some outsiders with covered faces who raised anti-India slogans and Mr Kumar was seen in CCTV footage asking them for their identity cards.”
The bench had also asked tough questions to the police on slapping sedition charge on the accused and asked it to show evidence against him of his “active role” in raising anti- India slogans.
During the hearing, the Delhi government’s counsel had urged the court to grant bail to Kumar.