Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Student Union President Kanhaiya Kumar along with Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were granted regular bail on Friday in a sedition case relating to alleged anti-India slogan-shouting at JNU campus in February by a Delhi court which noted that there was no ground not to grant them the relief.
Earlier in the day, Delhi Police told the court that the three accused persons cooperated with the probe in the case and “didn’t not misuse their interim bail”, following which Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh announced in his order:
..I admit all these accused persons Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya to regular bail on the same terms and conditions on which they were granted interim bail. Bail bonds and surety bonds have already been furnished by these accused persons at the time of availing interim bail.
Charged of sedition in connection with an event on the JNU campus where anti-national slogans were allegedly raised, Kanhaiya was arrested on 12 February, while Khalid and Bhattacharya, were arrested later. All three who are out on interim bail, had moved the court for regular bail.
Kanhaiya’s move came after the Delhi High Court on 17 August had refused his application for regular bail and asked him to approach the sessions court for the purpose. He was granted interim bail by the high court on 2 March for six months which is scheduled to expire on 1 September.
While granting interim bail to Khalid and Bhattacharya on 18 March, the trial court had observed that the role attributed to Kanhaiya does not appear to be different from the allegations levelled against the other two accused. The court had granted the relief to Khalid and Bhattacharya on furnishing a personal bond in the sum of Rs 25,000 with one surety of the like amount, which was complied with by them. After that, they were ordered to be released till 19 September.
It had also directed Umar and Anirban not to leave Delhi without permission during the period of interim bail and make themselves available before the investigating officer as and when required for the probe.
The high court had earlier granted interim conditional bail for six months to Kanhaiya, asking him not participate actively or passively in any activity which could be termed anti-national.
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