The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that it will be Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi’s personal responsibility to ensure safety of JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar. Earlier on Wednesday, Kanhaiya was badly beaten up while being brought to the court premises in police custody..
We make it clear that the responsibility is exclusively is that of the commissioner of police, Delhi to ensure the safety of the accused (Kanhaiya Kumar).Bench of Justice J. Chelameswar and Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre, Supreme Court
The order came after senior counsel Ajit Kumar Sinha, appearing for Delhi Police, said Bassi had told him that he takes personal responsibility for Kanhaiya Kumar’s safety.
Sinha had taken instructions inside the court room from the police commissioner on his mobile phone on the directions of the court, which asked if Bassi can guarantee safety and security of Kanhaiya Kumar who has been arrested on charges of sedition.
The court had said that the security of Kanhaiya Kumar and those present in the court room should be 100 percent fool proof, indicating that if Delhi Police can’t do it, then it may seek other options. It had been suggested that the security be handed over to the Central Reserve Police Force.
Senior counsel Raju Ramachandran, who is one of the six lawyers in the legal team defending Kanhaiya Kumar, sought court’s order for his safety even in jail premises during his 14 days judicial remand granted by a magistrate on Wednesday.
Taking note of JNU students and journalists being assaulted with the court complex on February 15, the apex court had regulated entry in the court room where Kanhaiya Kumar was to be produced, saying that besides his lawyers, the prosecution, Kanhaiya Kumar’s relatives and five journalists only will be permitted.
In the absence of relatives, two people - one from JNU faculty and one from the student fraternity - would be allowed.
It had also allowed the presence of 25 other journalists in the Patiala House Court complex.
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