The Saroornagar police on Sunday booked sedition cases against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury and JNU student leaders Kanhaiy
The Saroornagar police on Sunday booked sedition cases against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury and JNU student leaders Kanhaiya Kumar and Umar Khalid in connection with the JNU row.
An advocate had filed a complaint in the LB Nagar court, which referred the case to the Saroornagar police. Congress leader Ajay Maken and CPI leader D. Raja have also been booked by the police.
The complainant, advocate Janardhan Goud, had submitted CDs of videos telecast by Zee News and Times Now, which allegedly showed “anti-national” slogans by JNU students. He alleged that political leaders like Mr Gandhi and others had supported the “anti-national” students of JNU and demanded that sedition cases be booked against the students and the leaders.
Earlier, various media channels had exposed that the videos aired by Zee News and Times Now had been doctored and manipulated. However, the complainant stated that he believed them to be original. “I do not think those videos are manipulated. I have submitted those videos before the court as proof,” said Mr Goud, who had submitted his petition on February 22.
The Saroornagar police, who received the order from 11th metropolitan magistrate of LB Nagar, issued the FIR naming Mr Gandhi, Mr Kejriwal, Mr Yechury, Mr Kanhaiya Kumar and Mr Khalid. “We have booked a case under IPC Section 124, 124 A (sedition),” said Saroornagar inspector S. Lingaiah.
According to Cyberabad police officials, it was compulsory to book the case since it was referred by the court. But the investigation official will only take further steps after taking a legal opinion.
“The incident occurred in JNU in Delhi and it does not come under our jurisdiction. So we will take legal opinion before starting investigation,” said Mr Lingaiah.
Meanwhile, senior officials said that summons or arrests by the Cyberabad police in the case was highly unlikely. “Firstly, a case against the JNU student leaders is already being investigated by the Delhi police. Secondly, we need strong proof against the Opposition leaders to take any step,” said a senior police official from Cyberabad. Prominent lawyers from Hyderabad said that the case was weak and was a publicity stunt by the complainant.
“How will the charges of sedition against those political leaders be proved Some people want cheap publicity. This is just part of that stunt,” said prominent lawyer Pappu Nageswar Rao, adding that the court should have thoroughly verified the proof submitted by the complainant before referring the case to the police.
Legal experts also said that the case would not proceed further because of lack of evidence. It could also be nullified if the opposite parties filed a quash petition in court.
