Plea in HC against Bassi for "influencing" JNU case probe

A petition filed in Delhi High Court today accused city police commissioner B S Bassi of "influencing" the probe in the sedition case against JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and alleged that the police chief was "playing at the hands" of certain political parties.
The petition, which is likely to come up for hearing on Monday, alleged that Bassi's statement to media that the police would not oppose Kanhaiya's bail plea, may influence fair and transparent investigation in the matter as well as court proceedings.
It also claimed that police was "playing at the hands of some political parties under whom Delhi Police is working" and said Bassi should be directed to clear his views on the statements given by him to the media on February 16 and 17.

In his petition, city lawyer Satish Pandey claimed that the investigating officer cannot probe the case fairly in such a case when "undue influential pressure" is imposed by a high -ranking official like the police commissioner.
It also referred to Bassi's statement in which the police chief has said they were not giving a clean chit to Kanhaiya.
Seeking a direction to prohibit Bassi from influencing the probe, Pandey said the police should not be allowed to not oppose Kanhaiya's bail plea as other co-accused, who are on the run, may not be brought before the court if he gets bail.

"The charge of sedition and criminal conspiracy against the accused is not an individual offence but it is a public offence and every citizen of the nation are affected," he claimed.
Besides Bassi, Pandey has made Kanhaiya, the Centre and Delhi government as respondents.