Do not mix Ramjas case with JNU sedition case: Court

New Delhi: A Delhi Court on Tuesday warned an advocate, who sought lodging of an FIR alleging anti-national sloganeering at the Ramjas College in February, against mixing this incident with the JNU case in which sedition charge were slapped against some students.

The JNU incident of February 2016 had hogged the limelight after the arrest of its student leaders, including then JNUSU President Kanahiya Kumar, while the Ramjas College case involved the raising of slogans and a clash between the students owing allegiance to the ABVP and Left organisations AISA and SFI.

"Delhi Police FIR is not a precedent for me. It is not binding in this case, nor is it a Supreme Court ruling. JNU charge sheet is not relevant in this case. These are two different cases. Do not mix JNU matter with the DU case," Metropolitan Magistrate Abhilash Malhotra said.

The court's remarks were aimed at advocate Vivek Garg, who had raised the Ramjas College incident and sought a direction to the police to supply him a copy of the charge sheet filed in the JNU matter.

The court, however, could not hear arguments due to the absence of the concerned police officials and posted the matter for arguments on the ingredients of sedition charge for September 14.

"ACP Pankaj Gupta has sought exemption from appearance due to official duties. Put up for arguments on September 14," the magistrate said.

Garg, who could not argue today (Tuesday), submitted before the court that he needed the JNU charge sheet "as it is not available on internet. We need a copy of the FIR also to argue in this case."

The court had on August 29 observed that sedition charges cannot be pressed on the basis of an unauthenticated and unreliable video, after it was shown a footage of alleged "anti-national" sloganeering held on February 21 this year at the Ramjas College.

"Authenticity of the video is not established. What is the source of this video? On the basis of unreliable material, how can we press charges of sedition? You have to be confident of the authenticity of the video," the court asked complainant Vivek Garg, while also pointing out the existence of several doctored videos.

"Tomorrow if AISA and ABVP clash again, will it be termed as sedition? There are many doctored videos circulated on Whatsapp. These have to be verified," it observed.