Court directs JNU not to take coercive steps against Kanhaiya Kumar till July 20

New Delhi, July 18: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed that no coercive steps be taken against JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar who was fined Rs.10,000 by JNU in relation to Sedition case.

The High Court has listed the case for further hearing on July 20.

On February 9, 2016, a poetry event was held at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in connection with the third anniversary of Guru's hanging for his role in the attack on Parliament on December 13, 2001.

The high-level panel of JNU had in 2016 recommended fine of Rs. 10,000 on Kumar in connection with the February 9 event during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

It had also recommended rustication of Umar Khalid in connection with the incident, apart from imposing financial penalty on 13 other students for violation of disciplinary norms.

The students had then moved the Delhi High Court, which had directed the university to place the matter before an appellate authority to review the panel's decision.

On July 5, the university had revealed that the panel upheld its decision against Umar Khalid and Kanhaiya Kumar and in some cases the penalty has been reduced.

Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, arrested in February 2016 on charges of sedition in connection with the controversial event, are out on bail.