16:11 (IST)
Shoe hurled at Kapil Sibal
According to The Hindu, a shoe was hurled at Kanhaiya Kumar's lawyer Kapil Sibal at the Patiala House court.
16:10 (IST)
SC-appointed panel also attacked
The Supreme Court-appointed panel which visited the Patiala House Court complex was also attacked by the lawyers there. We wonder if the attackers have decided that they will start attacking anyone who steps inside the court.
15:21 (IST)
SC wants an account
SC takes cognisance of the unruly scenes outside court and has sent a delegation to assess the situation outside the Patiala House Court complex. SC has decided to sitbeyond 4 pm till it gets a report from the delegation.
SC was informed by senior advocate Indira Jaising that Kanhaiya Kumar has been attacked in court premises.
Kanhaiya Kumar was reportedly beaten up outside the court premise.
15:17 (IST)
Kanhaiya Kumar heckled at court
SC rushes a team of lawyers with police protection to assess the ground situation at Patiala House court after TV channels reported that Kanhaiya Kumar was heckled outside the court premise.
15:12 (IST)
The police were mute spectators when journalists were first attacked on Monday, and they were mute spectators on Wednesday as well, said Firstpost's Tarique Anwar
15:03 (IST)
Now, stones pelted on journalists
There seems to be no end to the ongoing violence at the Patiala court. NDTV has reported that stones were pelted at journalists outside the court complex. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court asked the counsel for the Delhi government to tell the city's police commissioner to take action against those indulging in violence irrespective of their profession. If only the agitating lawyers paid heed to the apex court's strong words.
14:53 (IST)
With friends like these, who needs the police? Meet Vikram Singh Chauhan
In a white shirt and black trousers and with vermillion on his forehead, Delhi High Court lawyer Vikram Singh Chauhan sits with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in his Facebook cover photo.
In his profile photo, the lawyer is standing with BJP veteran LK Advani. That's not it. Starting from Shankarsinh Vaghela to Vijayvargiya and BJP's Nirmala Sitharaman, Vikram has the knack for finding himself in the right place with the right company (pun unintended).
14:42 (IST)
The more things change, the more they stay the same
It is important to note that lawyer Vikram Chauhan, who was the first person to hit the CPI(M) activist on Monday, was again the person who started assaulting Tarique Anwar on Wednesday outside the Patiala House Court complex.
14:31 (IST)
If the rumours are true, here is BS Bassi's template for success - with apologies to Rudyard Kipling
If you can sit with your arms crossed, while violence ensues in court
If you can order your subordinates to do the same, while law and order takes a hike
If you make sure your responsibility is only to your political masters and not those you are appointed to protect
And when asked, stay belligerent... always stay belligerent;
Then you too, my son, can one day become Chief Information Commissioner.
14:20 (IST)
Is BS Bassi in for a reward?
CNN-IBN quoted sources as saying that BS Bassi could be next Chief Information Commissioner. Bassi's tenure as the police commissoner of Delhi finishes on 29 February.
Selection panel to chose the new Chief Information Commissioner on 19 February.
14:17 (IST)
Hearing deferred till 22 Feb
After the scuffle outside the Patiala House Court complex, Supreme Court has deferred hearing the sedition case of Kanhaiya Kumar on 22 February.
14:10 (IST)
FP reporter Tarique Anwar assaulted by lawyers while Delhi Police looks on
Mr BS Bassi, please read this carefully.
Firstpost reporter Tarique Anwar was assaulted and beaten up by lawyers who are protesting anti-national comments by Kanhaiya Kumar outside the Patiala House Court complex in New Delhi.
"There were two groups of lawyers. One was shouting slogans like Gaddaron ko bahar karo, and there was another group who supported the JNU student and were yelling 'Kanhaiya tum sangharsh karo hum tumhare saath hain.' I went inside and stood next to the police. I took out my phone to send an update to the office and saw the scuffle between the two groups. I took a photo when the group of lawyers protesting against Kanhaiya took my phone, deleted the photo and took me inside and assaulted me. All this happened in front of the Delhi police."
According to Anwar, Delhi police officers who were standing inside the court premises didn't even blink, instead they stood and watched and told Anwar, "Aap yahan rukiye."
According to Anwar, the Delhi police official was of ACP rank and Tarique escaped only when other journalists raised an alarm and asked the police to let him go.
13:59 (IST)
Court gate closed after clashes
Speaking to mediapersons outside the court complex, a protesting lawyer said, "Jo Pakistan zindabad keh rahe hain, aap unhe hero bana rahe hain." Later, the court gate was closed after clashes took place between two groups of lawyers.
13:41 (IST)
Fresh protests reported at court
Lawyers including Vikram Chauhan raised slogans of 'Vande Mataram' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' outside Patiala House Court complex in New Delhi. The protests were reported after SC restricted entry in Kanhaiya Kumar's hearing.
13:35 (IST)
SC asks cops to ensure proper security at Patiala House courtThe apex court ordered that there will be restricted entry of people which will include the lawyers for the accused and prosecution, in the court room during the proceedings relating to the remand of Kanhaiya whose extended police custody of two days is expiring today.
Besides the presence of lawyers of both sides, the bench comprising Justices J Chelameswar and A M Sapre said that the two family members of the accused, if present, will be allowed in the court room, otherwise one faculty member of JNU and a student would be allowed on behalf of the accused.
The bench also restricted the entry of mediapersons inside the court room during the proceeding by limiting it to five journalists.
It said that 25 journalists would be allowed to enter the compound and all the entries would be allowed only after proper identification and verification.
The apex court asked the Delhi High Court Registrar General to be present in the Patiala House court complex for verification of people or group of people who have been allowed access to the court room and its compound.
It, however, said that the directions given by it were limited to only today.
The bench was informed that administrative committee of the Delhi High Court will meet at 2 PM today to analyse and peruse the report of the District Judge who was asked to prepare the account of the incident that had taken place on February 15 at the Patiala House court where the lawyers had thrashed students, teachers and journalists who were presnt in connection with the Kanhaiya Kumar case.
13:34 (IST)
Jadavpur University VC issues statement
Jadavpur University VC Suranjan Das said that the rally in the campus was not officially convened by the students' union.
"Some fringe elements raised slogans, we condemn it. Entire university can't be defamed. The entire Jadavpur University student body can not be condemned," said Das.
13:11 (IST)
JNU VC speaks to the media
There was no police presence in campus, JNU vice-chancellor says while briefing media. "We strongly condemn the attack on faculty and students that happened in Patial House Court on Monday."
It was alleged that Jagadesh Kumar had given unfettered access to the police inside the campus. But the vice-chancellor on Wednesday confirmed that the allegations were untrue and have no basis.
13:02 (IST)
SC directs Delhi HC Registrar-General to be present in Patiala House Court
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court, in an unprecedented direction, has also asked the Registrar General of the Delhi High Court to be present in court when Kanhaiya Kumar is produced, PTI reported.. The order gives an indicator of the fact that the top court has taken serious note of the violence in the Patiala House court on Monday.
12:54 (IST)
No clean chit to Kanhaiya, says Bassi
Delhi Police Commissioner briefed the PMO on Wednesday and told mediapersons that Kanhaiya was arrested on the basis of evidence collected against him. "We are the ones carrying out the investigation and people are the ones coming up with conjectures. Kabhi Pradeep ki kavita yaad ati hai, dekh tere sansar ki halat kya ho gayee bhagwan, kitna badal gaya insan,"
"We have been impartial throughout the investigation into the JNU case," Bassi told mediapersons. Bassi added that the police is probing all aspects of the case and others connected to the case will be apprehended soon.
12:45 (IST)
Kanhaiya hearing today, SC orders these precautions
Only five reporters will be allowed into the courtroom today when Kanhaiya Kumar is brought to Delhi court. Supporters of Kanhaiya have to pick two representatives to attend the hearing, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday.
The rules were issued as judges took up the case of Monday's shocking and so far unpunished attacks on journalists and JNU students and faculty by a group of lawyers and a BJP legislator, OP Sharma.
Despite the violence being caught on camera, the Delhi Police has not arrested anyone yet, and its two cases are registered against "unknown persons" even though some of the attackers, including Sharma, cannot just be clearly seen in photos and videos, but have admitted to participating in the beatings.
12:37(IST)
I criticised PM Modi and RSS: Kanhaiya
According to the interrogation report of Kanhaiya Kumar, the students' union leader has denied raising anti-India slogans at the pro-Afzal event that was organised on the JNU campus on 9 February. However, Kumar admitted criticising RSS and PM Modi.
12:36(IST)
After Jadavpur University rally, MHA asks Bengal govt for report
After students in Kolkata raised slogans in support of terrorist Afzal Guru, the Home Ministry has asked the West Bengal government for a report.
On Tuesday evening, at a rally at Jadavpur University, cheers were raised eulogising Afzal Guru, hanged in 2013 for masterminding the attack on Parliament in 2001. Slogans supporting independence for Kashmir from India were also heard, though the focal point of the rally was to express solidarity with Delhi's JNU and Kanhaiya.
"Please let me tell you in what context I have said that. We all love our country. 'Azadi' for us signifies freedom from atrocities, atrocities of the Modi government, and freedom from intolerance," student leader named Nirjhar Mukhopadhay, who was one of the main organisers of the event, told NDTV.
12:27(IST)
'We said sorry for shouting slogans, but why should we be embarrassed?'
12:25 (IST)
'SC is critical of groups who posture and put courts under pressure'
Supreme Court on Monday ordered restricted entry into the court room at Patiala House where JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar is to be produced today. "No other advocates other than that of accused and prosecution will be present during proceedings in courtroom. Number of journalists in the courtroom should be restricted to only five," the apex court said.
12:14 (IST)
Students in Brahmputra hostel fiercely debate the arrest of Kanhaiya
The video, according to many students, in which Kanhaiya nowhere talks anything 'anti-national' is of 11 February. Amit Maurya, who is an active member of AISF, feels that Kanhaiya has been wrongly targetted.
Sourabh Sharma, joint secretary Delhi state AISF, says that the JNU administration had on Tuesday clearly said that they are not relying on videos released by the media they would rather go by the videos videos shot by JNU security.
12:12 (IST)
A group of hackers on Tuesday hacked the website of JNU's central library. When a user tried to log in to lib.jnu.ac.in, what they saw was the Indian flag with the song "Aye mere watan ke logon" playing in the background.
The website claimed to be hacked by a group called "Bl@Ck Dr@GoN" who left a message on the page, "As You Said Kashmir ki Aazadi Tak Jang Rahegi-Jang Rahegi." (You are thinking that you will get Kashmir just by barking in the campus of JNU.)"The hacking of the website was noticed after office hours.
12:10 (IST)
Delhi police conducts raids in UP, Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir
Delhi Police teams are conducting raids in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir. They are on the lookout for Umar Khalid, Anirbhan Bhattacharya, Riazul Haq and Rubina Saifee-all of whom are DSU members who allegedly organised the event on the eve of February 9, where anti-India slogans were raised.
Shatrughan Sinha on Wednesday said, "It(JNU) is a seat of learning for some of India's brightest young minds & also some very respectable teachers. Save it from further embarrassment."
Sinha also said that any accusations in the JNU controversy needed to be substantiated with hard facts. "If students, teachers or politicians make accusations, they need to be prepared to substantiate them with hard facts that they can stand by," he said in another tweet.
"JNU is going through a crisis for reasons best known to politicians. It is an institution of international repute, enviable record &history," he added.
12:07 (IST)
Former Delhi University professor SAR Geelani being produced at Patiala House Courts in New Delhi on Tuesday. Geelani has been arrested on sedition and other charges for allegedly organising an event in support of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
11:49 (IST)
Vande Mataram, shout lawyers during Kanhaiya Kuma's case hearing
CNN-IBN says that new courtroom drama was reported at the fresh hearing of Kanhaiya Kumar's sedition case today. Lawyers disrupted proceedings at the apex court and raised slogans. Advocates shout 'Vande Mataram' as the court began hearing the plea against the scuffle that took place in Patiala House Court complex on Monday
The Supreme Court bench condemned the attack on students and mediapersons, IBN reports. Supreme Court also restricted the number of people who can enter Patiala House courtroom during Kanhaiya Kumar's hearing to 20.
11:28 (IST)
Shotgun supports Kanhaiya
BJP's Shatrughan Sinha, who has been famous for his dissenting voice in the party, came out in support of JNU students and Kanhaiya Kumar.
“Have heard transcript of speech of Kanhaiya, our Bihar boy president of JNUSU. He has said nothing anti national or against constitution,” wrote Sinha on Twitter, the platform where he frequently launches attacks against his party.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat also supported the agitating students and said that "we support autonomy for Kashmir within framework of Indian Constitution." She was quoted by ANI after reports of Jadavpur University students agitating against government and their crackdown on JNU surfaced.
11:09 (IST)
Chomsky, Pamuk support Kanhaiya Kumar and JNU students
Over 400 academicians from international universities, including Columbia, Yale, Harvard and Cambridge, have come out in support of JNU students. The list of academicians include Noam Chomsky and Orhan Pamuk, whp have recorded their condemnation of the arrest of a JNU student in a strongly-worded statement that says it is "evidence of the present government's deeply authoritarian nature, intolerant of any dissent".
A joint statement signed by 455 academicians from global universities, said, "JNU stands for a vital imagination of the space of the university — an imagination that embraces critical thinking, democratic dissent, student activism, and the plurality of political beliefs. It is this critical imagination that the current establishment seeks to destroy. And we know that this is not a problem for India alone".
The statement says: "We have learnt of the shameful act of the Indian government which, invoking sedition laws formulated by India's colonial rulers, ordered the police to enter the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus and unlawfully arrest a student leader, Mr. Kanhaiya Kumar, on charges of inciting violence --without any proof whatever of such wrongdoing on his part."
10:58 (IST)
14 senior Delhi cops shifted out
Several senior Delhi Police officers were transferred on Tuesday night amid massive outrage over the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar on sedition charges, NDTV reports. The Supreme Court will take up a petition that alleges that the police did nothing to stop an attack on JNU students and faculty at Patiala House Court complex on Monday.
The petition, filed by a former JNU student who was also hurt in Monday's violence at the Patiala House Court, alleges that the police were a "mute spectator to this brazen display of brute force."
