Delhi HC to hear plea to cancel Kanhaiya's bail

A plea seeking cancellation of interim bail granted to Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested in a sedition case, was on Tuesday moved in the Delhi high court alleging that his speech subsequent to his release was "anti-national" and thus he violated the bail conditions.

The matter is listed for hearing on Wednesday before Justice Pratibha Rani.

The petition alleged that "the speech and slogans given/ raised by Respondent No. 2 (Kanhaiya) and his associates was nothing but challenging the sovereignty and integrity of the nation and, therefore, clear violation of the conditions of the interim bail as same was nothing but the continuity of anti-national activities, lowering the reputation of entire country and its citizens in the entire world."

The petitioner, Prashant Kumar Umrao, has further alleged in his plea that Kanhaiya has "continued his anti-national activities on each and every day" as he made allegations in public that the Indian Armed Forces rape women in Kashmir.

He has claimed that the court while granting six-months interim bail to the student leader had clarified that JNU faculty would ensure that Kanhaiya's thoughts and energy would be channelized in a constructive manner.

In this regard, the petitioner has alleged that even some of the faculty members of the JNU "have indulged in anti-national activities with more force".

Kanhaiya and his associates have "wilfully and deliberately" violated the conditions imposed on him by the court and the undertaking given by him, the plea claimed.

The high court on March 2 while granting bail to Kanhaiya had said that he will "not participate actively or passively in any activity which may be termed as anti-national".