Penalty by JNU appellate authority "incorrect": Kanhaiya to HC

New Delhi, Sep 6 (PTI) JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumartoday told Delhi High Court that the penalty imposed on him byJNU’s appellate authority in connection with the controversialFebruary 9 event was "completely incorrect" and varsity shouldnot "fight" with its students in such a manner. Kanhaiya said this during a hearing on his plea againstthe August 22 order of varsity’s appellate authority imposinga fine of Rs 10,000 on him and asking him to give anundertaking that he would not involve in any unauthorisedevent and abide by all rules and regulations. Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva sought response of JNU on theplea, after which the JNU counsel said she would file a shortaffidavit within three weeks. Senior advocate Rebecca John, appearing for Kanhaiya,told the court that appellate authority had wrongly recordedin its order that his client had not answered the questions ashe had specifically denied allegations levelled against him bya high-level enquiry committee (HLEC). HLEC was set up to look into the matter relating to theFebruary 9 event in which anti-India slogans were allegedlyraised inside the campus. "I (Kanhaiya) am a political activist and penalty imposedupon me is completely incorrect. A university of this statureis fighting with its students like this," John said. The court then asked JNU counsel, "Why are you insistingon fine and undertaking till the next date (of hearing)?" After the counsel said the university would not insist onit, the court fixed the matter for hearing on October 19. Besides Kanhaiya, seven other students of JNU have alsochallenged the appellate authority’s order. When the court was told that fines were imposed on mostof these students, and in one matter, the authority had evenordered withdrawal of hostel facility of a student, the JNUcounsel assured that no action would be taken against thesestudents as of now. To this, Justice Sachdeva asked, "Do I need to pass anyorder or you (JNU) will hold your hands?" The varsity counselresponded saying "We will hold our hands." The court fixed for September 8 the matter of the studentwhose hostel facility was ordered to be withdrawn. The high court had yesterday asked JNU not to implementfor a week the order passed by its appellate authority holdingstudents Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya guilty ofindiscipline in connection with the February event. The court’s direction had come on the pleas by Khalid andBhattacharya, who were penalised along with 19 other students,challenging the findings of the appellate authority. While Khalid has been rusticated from the universitytill December this year, Bhattacharya has been directed to beout of varsity for five years. Arguments on their pleas wouldbe heard on September 8. PTI ABA PPSARC