Attack on Kanhaiya Kumar inside court appears pre-planned: NHRC

NEW DELHI: A National Human Rights Commission ( NHRC) probe team on Friday said the physical assault on JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar in the Patiala House District court was “organised and planned”. It also said Kumar was subjected to “psychological pressure during investigation” and he did not write a statement issued by police in his name “voluntarily”. “The statement which was issued by the police as an appeal on behalf of Kanhaiya was not written by him voluntarily.

The content, construction and framework of the statement were as dictated by the police,” reads one of the findings of the NHRC report. A two member team comprising CK Chaturvedi, Registrar (Law) and SK Jain, SSP (Investigation) visited the prison on Friday to assess the treatment meted out to Kumar in police custody and security arrangements in the Central prison where he is lodged.

The report notes, “(Kumar) was abused and physically assaulted by some persons dressed as advocates in the Patiala House court premises on 17.02.2016. He was even physically assaulted inside the adjoining court room in the presence of police who did not do anything to prevent the assault or apprehend the attackers even though they were identified by Kumar then and there. There was serious dereliction of duty on the part of the police. The physical assault appears to be organised and planned.”