Verifying whether Kanhaiya violated bail conditions: Cops to High Court

Delhi Police told the Delhi High Court that they are probing whether JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar has violated the conditions imposed on him after he was granted interim bail in the sedition case.

The police told Justice Suresh Kait that they “cannot comment” without verifying the facts if Kanhaiya has violated the bail conditions and the investigation in this aspect is in progress.

“As regards the allegations that he (Kanhaiya) has violated the bail conditions, this fact is disputed. Unless verified by us, we cannot comment on this. The investigation is going on,” special public prosecutor Shailendra Babbar, appearing for the Delhi Police, told the court.

The court was hearing arguments on separate pleas seeking cancellation of interim bail granted to Kanhaiya and also for initiating perjury proceedings against him.

Advocate R P Luthra, who appeared for one of the petitioners Prashant Kumar Umrao, claimed in court that after Kanhaiya was released from jail on interim bail, he violated the bail conditions by giving statements “challenging the integrity and sovereignty of the country”.

“The conditions so imposed on him (Kanhaiya) has been violated by him and he has breached the faith shown on him by the court. The concession granted to him should be taken away,” he said.

Countering his submissions, Delhi government’s senior standing counsel Rahul Mehra said that no grounds have been shown by the petitioners which warranted cancellation of interim bail granted to Kanhaiya at this stage.

“No single ground have been shown by the petitioners which satisfies that bail conditions have been violated by Kanhaiya,” Mehra said.

On March 16, the petitions for cancellation of Kanhaiya’s interim bail were referred to the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court for allocating it before another bench, after objection was raised by one of the petitioners to the warning that they may have to bear the cost on dismissal of their pleas.