Kanhaiya Kumar walks out of Tihar, JNU campus erupts in joy

He was granted interim bail for six months by the Delhi High Court on Wednesday on condition that he will cooperate in the ongoing investigation and has to present himself before the police as and when required.“Kanhaiya was released from the jail at around 6.30 pm after his bail bond and release orders were properly scrutinised,” Additional IG (Prisons) and Tihar Spokesperson Mukesh Prasad said.

Kanhaiya was arrested on February 12 in connection with an event on JNU campus on to protest the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

The student leader was greeted with loud cheers by his supporters when he came out of Tihar Jail. Celebrations also erupted on the JNU campus. Earlier in the day, a city court issued Kanhaiya’s release order after he furnished a bail bond.

Jail officials said the papers for the release of the JNU student leader were received at around 5 pm. Some JNU teachers were waiting for him at the gate of the jail when he was released about one-and-a-half-hours later. “He was escorted to the jail gate and handed over to some teachers and other persons present there,” they said.

Tight security was put in place on Thursday by the Delhi Police and Tihar Jail authorities. Expecting high voltage drama, the Delhi Police made extensive preparations as a large number of people including students, teachers and non teaching staff thronged Jail Road to cheer for Kanhaiya Kumar.

However, Kumar was escorted by the policemen without the media persons getting even a glimpse of him. He was then taken to the nearby Hari Nagar police station from where he was taken to JNU campus in three police vehicles. Apart from local policemen, extra police force including the police officials of the South District were kept in loop as Kumar was escorted out of Tihar Jail.

“We took him out of the jail without anyone getting to know. He was wearing his usual black leather jacket. After being taken out, we dropped him at the back gate of the JNU campus from where he was ushered in by other students,” said a police official who escorted Kanhaiya Kumar. 

According to the officer, heavy arrangements were made to avoid any untoward incident after Kanhaiya was allegedly assaulted by a group of lawyers, at the Patiala House Court premises a few days ago. The arrest of the students has sparked  a furious debate over free speech in the country.

Kumar’s arrest and subsequent events, including being assaulted by lawyers in Delhi’s Patiala House Court complex, sparked outrage across the nation, putting the ruling BJP on a collision course with a united Opposition. Universities across India also joined in protests against his arrest.