Delhi HC directs JNU to not take coercive steps against Umar Khalid till next hearing

New Delhi, July 19: The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to not take any coercive step against student Umar Kahlid, who was rusticated by the varsity, till the next hearing.

A JNU committee had earlier recommended rustication of Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, former JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar and two others in connection with a 2016 incident in the varsity campus. A Rs 10,000 fine was also imposed on Kumar by an appellate authority of the university in connection with the incident in which slogans were allegedly raised at the event relating to Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru's hanging.

The next hearing in the matter is on Friday (June 20). The court is likely to JNU's reply during tomorrow's hearing. Justice Siddharth Mridul's order came while hearing Khalid's plea challenging the university's order. Khalid had approached court challenging order passed by JNU through its chief proctor on July 4, reported ANI.

A financial penalty was imposed on 13 students for violation of disciplinary norms. However, the students moved the Delhi high court and sat on hunger strike from April 28. HC provided "conditional relief" to the students and stayed the order. The university administration then began a fresh investigation and later upheld its decision on Kumar's fine.

The committee was investigating charges against Khalid and others in connection with the February 2016 event on Afzal Guru's hanging, during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised on campus.

Earlier, in May 2016, the Delhi High Court had stayed the disciplinary action taken against Kumar, Khalid, and Anirban Bhattacharya. In October 2017, the Delhi High court after setting aside the disciplinary action yet again had asked the university administration to look into the matter afresh and to allow students to submit evidence and present their side.