JNU row: Court dismisses cops' plea to collect voice samples

New Delhi, Feb 25: A Delhi court on Thursday, Feb 25 refused to allow Delhi Police to collect voice samples of two JNU students -- Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, arrested in a sedition case.

According to court sources, Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen dismissed the application of Delhi Police, which had arrested both the accused students after they surrendered on the night of February 23, seeking permission to collect their voice samples for investigation in the matter.

Umar and Anirban were last night sent to three days police remand at the South Campus Police Station near JNU which was turned into a makeshift court room following an order of the Delhi High Court to "maintain confidentiality" during their remand proceedings.

Police had demanded seven days' custody of the duo, who had allegedly organised a controversial event at JNU on February 9 where anti-India slogans were alleged to have been raised. Police yesterday also applied for production of JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar so that all the three students can be interrogated together.

The Delhi High Court had yesterday ordered maintenance of "confidentiality" during the remand proceedings of Kanhaiya, Umar and Anirban and directed police to ensure that no one "suffers even a scratch" in wake of the Patiala House court violence on February 15 and 17.

The high court order had come during the hearing on Kumar's bail plea after it was informed that he and Umar and Anirban were apprehending threat to their safety and security during production in a Patiala House court for remand proceedings.

According to police before being arrested, Umar and Anirban were questioned for at least five hours in which police inquired about their whereabouts during the phase when cops were on a look out for them. Police also inquired whether two of them were the main organisers of the February 9 event against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, and whether they were involved in alleged anti-India sloganeering.

The duo had returned to the JNU campus last Sunday 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.

PTI