PIL in HC for sanction to prosecute former JNUSU prez Kanhaiya Kumar

A PIL was on Tuesday moved in the Delhi High Court seeking directions to the AAP government to grant sanction for prosecution of former JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar in a sedition case.

The petition, which is listed for hearing before a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar on Wednesday,contends that such cases involving influential persons ought to be decided in a time bound manner to act as deterrence.

The plea, moved by former BJP MLA Nand Kishor Garg, seeks issuance of guidelines "for expeditious disposal of criminal cases of serious nature where there is involvement of influential persons as accused".

The petition, filed through advocate Shashank Deo Sudhi, alleged that Kumar's case highlights the lackadaisical approach of the government as it has "failed" to grant the sanction letter which is required prior to taking cognisance of the charge sheet.

The police, on January 14, had filed a charge sheet in the court against Kumar and others, including formerJNUstudentsUmar Khalidand Anirban Bhattacharya, saying they were leading a procession and supported seditious slogans raised in the university campus during an event on February 9, 2016.

Garg, in his plea, claims that if such cases are decided in a time bound fashion, it would affirm the rule of law.

The plea also said that a "speedier outcome of the cases would act as deterrence to the community as well as prevention of crimes".

The petition further alleges that the Delhi government was not complying with the law of the land "as large number of cases are not being investigated on account of administrative lapses".

"This approach of the government seems to be sending message to the citizenry that the law can be differently applied to different citizen due to their proximity to the political establishment," the petition contends.