Khalid, Anirban get six month interim bail

New Delhi, March 18 A court here on Friday granted six months interim bail to JNU students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, arrested on charges of sedition.

Both have been asked to furnish a personal bond of Rs. 25,000 with one surety of the like amount respectively. 

Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh also asked the two Jawaharlal Nehru University students not to leave Delhi without the court's permission and to make themselves available before the investigating officer as and when required for the purpose of the probe.

Both had sought bail on the ground of "parity ", saying that JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar, who was also arrested on the same charge, was already granted interim bail by the Delhi High Court.

Granting six month interim bail to them on parity with Kanhaiya Kumar, the court noted that there was no previous criminal record against them and "nothing has been brought on record which could indicate that they are likely to abscond from jurisdiction of the court". 

"No submission has been made (by police) to the effect that both the applicants Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya have been involved previously in any criminal case. No record has been placed by the state regarding any such past conduct of both these persons.

"Although the allegations levelled against Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya are per se serious in nature, but as claimed by police themselves, the video footage of the incident has been sent to the forensic science laboratory. Its analysis and final report will certainty take some time," it added.

The court in its order further added: "At the outset, it is to be kept in mind that co-accused Kanhaiya Kumar has been granted bail by the high court."

Delhi Police had opposed the bail plea saying their case was different from that of Kanhaiya Kumar as they were the organisers of a controversial event on the varsity campus on February 9 where anti-national slogans were raised. Both the students surrendered before police last month. 

A case was registered against Khalid and Bhattacharya at the Vasant Kunj police station in south Delhi, soon after Kanhaiya was arrested on the same charges on February 12.