Don’t take action against Umar, Anirban for a week: HC to JNU

JNU was on Monday directed by Delhi high court not to implement for a week the order 

passed by its appellate authority holding some students including Umar Khalid and 

Anirban Bhattacharya guilty of indiscipline in connection with the controversial February 9 event.

The direction came on pleas by Khalid and Bhattacharya, who were penalised along with 19 others, including Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar, challenging the findings of the appellate authority.

In a related development on Monday, Kanhaiya and seven other students also moved the High Cagainst the order. Their matters were mentioned before a Bench of justices B D Ahmed and Ashutosh Kumar which fixed the pleas for hearing on Tuesday.

During the hearing on the petitions filed by Khalid and Bhattacharya, their lawyers told Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva that the operation of the August 22 order of appellate authority has to be stayed as it would come into effect on Tuesday.

Khalid’s counsel Akhil Sibal said his client has been rusticated from the university for the monsoon session which would end in December this year.

Similarly, Bhattacharya’s counsel said his client has been directed to be out of JNU for five years.