HC slaps fine on JNUSU office bearers for disobeying orders on holding protests

The Delhi High Court today slapped a fine on JNU students' union office-bearers for "wilful disobedience" of judicial orders not to hold protests within 100 metres of the varsity's administrative block.

The ruling by Justice V K Rao, imposing a fine of Rs 2,000 on each one of the student leaders, came on a plea by the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) seeking contempt action against them for violating the high court's August 9, 2017 order not to obstruct access to the administrative block.

The court disposed of JNU's plea, while directing that the fine amount should be deposited within two weeks with the Registrar General of the high court.

In its petition, filed through central government standing counsel Monika Arora, the university had claimed that the JNUSU office bearers had on February 15 this year violated the high court order while protesting against compulsory attendance norms.

It had alleged that the students had created a "threatening atmosphere" in the campus and carried out a mass signature campaign against the mandatory attendance issue.

The JNUSU office bearers have denied the allegations.

The students had on February 15 allegedly blocked the administration building demanding a meeting with the Vice Chancellor on the issue of compulsory attendance and had allegedly stopped the two officials from leaving.