JNU students blocked from registering for new semester

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has refused to register for the new semester, the 21 students who were involved in the events of February 9.

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has refused to register for the new semester, the 21 students who were involved in the events of February 9.

Earlier, the university’s high-level enquiry committee punished 21 students after the event commemorating the death anniversary of Afzal Guru blew up into a controversy. (Sushil Kumar/ HT File)

This move by the university has come as a surprise, because the Delhi High Court had put a stay against punishment, ranging from rustication to penalty, in May this year.

Students are required to register for class after every semester.

Earlier, the university’s high-level enquiry committee punished 21 students after the event commemorating the death anniversary of Afzal Guru blew up into a controversy.

Anirban Bhattacharya, Umar Khalid and JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar were jailed. The punishment given to the three ranged from rustication to fines.

For Bhattacharya, starting July 23, the campus was declared out of bounds for five years. Khalid was rusticated for one semester with a fine of R20,000 while a fine of R10,000 was imposed on Kumar.

These students moved court against the punishment.

But on Monday, the deans of different centres of the varsity were sent a circular that said the registration of all 21 students should be blocked till further notice.

“The high court had put a stay on the punishment now how can the university use as a reason to block our registration. This is a clear violation of the court order. We are seeking for legal advice on what we can do now,” said Ashutosh Kumar, former JNUSU president. He is also in the list of the 21 who have been penalised.

JNU officials refused to comment on why such an action had been taken even after the high court order.

Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar could not be reached for a comment despite several attempts.