Delhi Court Orders Release of JNU Students Detained During Protest
Court Ruling on JNU Student Protesters
A court in Delhi has mandated the immediate release of 14 students from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) who were detained on Thursday while attempting to march towards the Union Ministry of Education.
The students organized the protest to call for the resignation of Vice Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, following her controversial remarks perceived as casteist. Reports indicate that over 50 students were also detained during the incident.
Initially, the 14 students were granted bail by a magistrate court on Friday, but their release was contingent upon the verification of their permanent addresses, as there were concerns about the accuracy of their identities and the lack of designated contacts for arrest notifications.
On Sunday, Duty Magistrate Ravi presided over a petition filed by the students challenging the earlier court's decision. He expressed that allowing outstation verification to dictate their continued detention could render the bail process ineffective.
The magistrate emphasized that once the court determined that the students were eligible for bail, the verification of their addresses should not delay their release unnecessarily.
Consequently, the judge revised the bail conditions, allowing the students to be released without the prerequisite of address verification.
The protest was sparked by Vice Chancellor Pandit's comments in an interview, where she suggested that progress for Dalits could not be achieved by perpetually adopting a victim mentality.
Additionally, the protesters raised concerns regarding the expulsion of five student union leaders earlier this month for allegedly damaging surveillance equipment at the Ambedkar Library, and they called for the implementation of a Rohith Act to combat caste-based discrimination in educational institutions.
During the protest, clashes erupted between the students and police, with authorities claiming they were assaulted, while students accused the police of using excessive force. An FIR was lodged against the students under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for obstructing public servants and causing harm.
Among those detained were key figures from the JNU Students Association, including President Aditi Mishra, Vice President Gopika, Joint Secretary Danis, and former union president Nitish Kumar.