New Delhi: Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi on Monday said that the arrest of Jawaharlal Nehru University students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar was justified as he had raised anti-national slogans during the controversial event in the campus.
Bassi, however, said police have so far found "no evidence linking the LeT" to the incident.
"Kanhaiya was present at the event, where he delivered a speech and participated in an unlawful assembly which indulged in anti-India sloganeering. It was because of his involvement, and the evidence we have collected so far, that he has been arrested under charge of sedition," Bassi told reporters after meeting home minister Rajnath Singh.
Twice the commissioner said that Kanhaiya was part of the event where anti-national slogans were raised. He said the congregation, organised against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, was anti-national and unlawful.
"Yes, he raised anti-national slogans," he said when pressed further on the issue. Bassi said that the speech he delivered at the event was highly objectionable.
When asked about alleged links between Kashmir militants and the JNU students who were suspected to be involved in the incident, Bassi said, "Kanhaiya's interrogation will be analysed for terror links and the police are looking for some other students who all went absconding after the incident but will soon be arrested."
He, however, said they have found "no evidence linking" the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) to the JNU incident so far. "As and when it comes, it will shared with Home Ministry," he said.
The police chief added that during Kanhaiya's questioning investigators have gathered crucial information which will now be verified and processed.
On February 12, Jawaharla Nehru University's students' union President Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested in a sedition case over an event at the varsity's campus against hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
Responding to questions about a video footage purportedly showing some students, who are allegedly of ABVP, shouting anti-India slogans in the same event, Bassi said, "As far as I am informed, ABVP students were protesting against the conduct of the particular event. However, if anything comes up against them, they will have to face legal action too."
Caught in a controversy over the purported tweet of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed that was pinned by Delhi Police in an alert over Twitter asking students not to get carried away by anti-India rhetoric, the commissioner said that a probe has been initiated into the matter.
(with PTI inputs)
