Delhi government, police differ on Kanhaiya Kumar’s bail plea

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government and the police on Tuesday took contesting stands before the Delhi high court on pleas seeking cancellation of the bail granted to

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government and the police on Tuesday took contesting stands before the Delhi high court on pleas seeking cancellation of the bail granted to JNU student union leader Kanhaiya Kumar.

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While the government said it was not in favour of cancelling Kanhaiya’s interim bail, the Delhi Police left it to the court to decide, even as it said he “misused his liberty” post his release on bail in March.

Justice PS Teji took strong objection to the Delhi Police’s lack of stand on the issue saying, “I do not want you (police) to play hide-and-seek with the court. From last three dates (in the high court) you are not clear whether you want his (Kanhaiya) bail to be cancelled or not.”

The court was hearing two separate petitions filed by Prashant Kumar Umrao and Vineet Jindal — both Delhi residents — seeking cancellation of the student leader’s bail on the grounds that his speech post release was “antinational” and violated the bail condition.

During the hearing, Delhi government’s senior standing counsel Rahul Mehra said, “Our stand is very clear. We don’t’ want his (Kanhaiya) bail cancelled”.