JNU Sedition case: Delhi Police given time till Feb 28 to procure sanction against Kanhaiya Kumar, ors

The Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Sahrawat today granted the Delhi Police time till February 28 to procure requisite sanction from the concerned authorities to prosecute former JNU Student Union President Kanhaiya Kumar and others in the JNU sedition case..Stating that the authorities cannot delay the sanction for an indefinite period, the Court asked them to expedite the process..On the last date of hearing, Judge Sehrawat had refused to take cognizance on the chargesheet filed in the case, on account of absence of prior sanction from the legal department of the Delhi government..The charge sheet in question was filed by the police in January in the case pertaining to the alleged “anti-national” sloganeering and connected events of February 2, 2016..The Delhi Police claims to have based its findings on the basis of documentary evidence, CCTV footage, and eye-witness accounts of approximately 90 persons. Apart from Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, the seven other accused are Aquib Hussain, Mujeeb Hussain, Muneeb Hussain, Umar Gul, Rayeea Rasool, Bashir Bhat and Basharat..Apart from the ten named above, the Delhi Police has mentioned 36 others in the charge sheet as well, without naming them as accused due to lack of evidence..Kanhaiya was granted interim bail by the Delhi High Court in March 2016, almost three weeks after being arrested on charges of sedition. Soon after, an Additional Sessions Judge granted interim bail to Khalid as well as Bhattacharya..The case will next be heard on February 28.