Man held for posters exhorting JNU student leader's murder

The Delhi Police on Monday arrested a 30-year-old man in connection with posters that announced a reward of Rs.11 lakh to anyone who shot dead JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar.

Adarsh Sharma, who claims to be president of the so-called Purvanchal Sena, was arrested on charges of defacement of public property, abetment to offence punishable with imprisonment, public mischief, criminal intimidation and forgery, Deputy Commissioner of Police Jatin Narwal told IANS.

The officer said Sharma pasted these posters on the intervening night of March 4-5.

Police said the posters, carrying Sharma's name and mobile number, were found pasted near the Press Club of India, the Youth Congress office and at some bus stops and metro stations in central New Delhi.

"The posters announced Rs.11 lakh reward for those shooting Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Kanhaiya Kumar dead," the officer said.

Sharma, from Lakhisarai in Bihar and currently residing in Begumpur in west Delhi, was arrested hours after he was detained earlier in the day, said the officer.

The police registered a case of defacement of public property and added other sections later.

Kanhaiya was arrested by the Delhi Police on February 12 on charge of sedition for allegedly raising anti-national slogans at a cultural event organised on the campus on February 9 to commemorate the third anniversary of the execution of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

Kumar was granted conditional six-month interim bail by the Delhi High Court on March 2.