“Don’t penalise Kanhaiya Kumar for breach of discipline back in 2016,” the Delhi High Court told Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), where Kumar was a student, on Friday, 20 July.
“JNU’s order against Kanhaiya Kumar is illegal, irrational and irregular,” it added, PTI reported. It also ordered the institute to decide upon the matter once a hearing has been accorded to the concerning parties.
BACKSTORY
Back in 2016, Kumar had been imposed with a fine of Rs 10,000 by a high-level panel of the university for his connection with an incident during which anti-India slogans were allegedly raised at an event where students were protesting the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
At the time of this alleged incident, Kumar was the president of the JNU students’ union (JNUSU).
Along with the fine on Kumar, the panel had recommended the rustication of another student Umar Khalid, as well as financial penalties on 13 other JNU students, for “violation of disciplinary norms”. Kumar, Khalid and a third student, Anirban Bhattacharya, were even arrested on charges of “sedition”.
WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW?
Following the panel’s recommendations, the concerned students had moved the Delhi High Court, which had then instructed the University to place the matter ahead of an appellate authority, so that the panel’s decisions could be reviewed.
On 4 July, the university had explained that the panel had upheld its decision against Khalid and Kumar, but that in some cases the penalty had been reduced.
Kumar had then sought a stay of the university’s 4 July order, as well as exemption from depositing the Rs 10,000 fine.
(With inputs from PTI and News18)
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