JNU sedition case: Mehbooba questions timing of filing of charge sheet

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti Monday questioned the timing of filing of charge sheet in the 2016 JNU sedition case, in which seven Kashmiris have been named, saying the students were being used to score political points ahead of Lok Sabha elections.

These seven are among the 10 students, including former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar, charged by the Delhi Police for allegedly shouting anti-India slogans during an event on the university campus on February 9, 2016 to commemorate the hanging of Parliament-attack mastermind Afzal Guru.

"No surprises here. We are months away from the 2019 general election and like always, using Kashmiris to score extra political points with the Indian electorate has become somewhat of a pre-requisite," the Peoples Democratic Party chief said in a series of tweets.

"Timing of the charge sheet couldn't be any more suspicious. When UPA was in power, it decided to send Afzal Guru to the gallows and to this day, J&K is paying a price," Mufti said.

"Wonder how many more Kashmiris, along with their families, will have to pay a price to secure the political fortunes of national parties," she said.

The accused have been charged with offences under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 124A (sedition), 143 (punishment for being a member of an unlawful assembly) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).

The charge sheet also contains CCTV footage, mobile footage and documentary evidence.