JNU case: Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya move bail plea

New Delhi, March 15: JNU students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, arrested in a sedition case in which JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar is also an accused, on Tuesday, March 15 moved a Delhi court seeking bail.

Both students who were arrested after they had surrendered on the night of February 23, filed their applications before the Patiala House Courts registry and their pleas are likely to come up for hearing before a sessions court on Wednesday, March 16.

The police had arrested the duo for allegedly organising a controversial event at JNU on February 9 where anti-India slogans were alleged to have been raised.

The plea was moved on the ground that both the accused are not required for any custodial interrogation as they are in judicial custody. The application said that no purpose will be served by keeping them in the custody.

Earlier on February 25, Umar and Anirban were remanded to police custody after hearing at South Campus Police Station near JNU which was turned into a makeshift courtroom following an order of the Delhi High Court to "maintain confidentiality" during their remand proceedings.

The court later on March 1, had sent Umar and Anirban to judicial custody. The duo had returned to the JNU campus on February 29 after going missing since February 12.

Delhi Police had issued a look-out notice on February 20 against Umar, Anirban and three other students -- Rama Naga, Ashutosh Kumar and Anant Prakash. Kanhaiya was earlier granted interim bail for six months by the Delhi High Court.

PTI