Against the backdrop of attacks on him at the Patiala House courts complex here, the Delhi police on Thursday threw a tight security cordon around JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar as he was released from high-security Tihar jail after three weeks’ incarceration.
After his release at around 6.30 pm, Mr Kumar got inside an SUV which was arranged by his counsel, a source said.
While the car was secretly driven out via staff quarters in the backyard of the prison complex, three other vehicles, including an ambulance, were used as decoys with a posse of media personnel camped outside gate No.4 to cover the release of the JNUSU president.
Mr Kumar, who is facing sedition charges, and those accompanying him were instructed to reach the Hari Nagar police station near Tihar jail, from where he was provided with an escort comprising officials of the Delhi police’s West district.
Officials of South district later took over from their West district counterparts as Mr Kumar reached the JNU campus safely, the source added.
Earlier in the day, the police mounted heavy se-curity outside the JNU gates where a group was spotted protesting against the release of Mr Kumar.
Mr Kumar was attacked by a group of men at the Patiala House courts complex here when he was taken there on February 17. Following the incident, the high court had come down hard on the Delhi police and said it will be answerable if any of the students arrested in connection with the case suffered even a scratch.
Apprehending “clashes” following Mr Kumar’s release, the police issued an “advisory” to all district, traffic and PCR units asking them to maintain a strict vigil, especially in and around the JNU and Delhi University campuses.
“The advisory says that in case Mr Kumar gets bail, there is a possibility he may visit places like Jantar Mantar, JNU and DU with a large number of his supporters, including students’ groups like AISF and AISA and members of some political parties,” a police source said on Thursday. “It says that ABVP and other right wing groups, including some political leaders, may oppose such gatherings and there is a possibility of clashes among the groups,” he said.
