The police on Monday asked the Jawaharlal Nehru University administration to help acquire the laptops, mobile phones and other devices of jailed student leader Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya.
Sources in the special cell said the duo told the police they had left their devices in their hostel rooms. The anti-terror unit is investigating the sedition case against JNU students accused of shouting anti-India slogans.
“We needed their laptops and phones for investigation. Since we cannot enter the campus without informing the authorities, we sent a notice to the university office,” said a police officer.
The university said they would hand over the gadgets in a day or two.
Khalid and Bhattacharya are in judicial custody since they surrendered last month. Student union president Kanhaiya Kumar was released on bail.
Police sources said they will analyse the data in their laptops and storage disks.
They said they will go through documents in their laptops to ascertain the nature of literature they had access to. The police will access call details, messages and Whatsapp chats as part of the investigation.
The investigation will focus on the messages the duo exchanged in the days leading to the protest on February 9, when alleged anti-national slogans were raised on the campus.
Investigating officials said Khalid was the main organiser of the February 9 event commemorating the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. He sought permission to hold the event, they said. The special branch report filed by an officer also named Khalid as leading the group that shouted slogans for ‘Kashmir ki Azaadi.’
{{/usCountry}}Investigating officials said Khalid was the main organiser of the February 9 event commemorating the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. He sought permission to hold the event, they said. The special branch report filed by an officer also named Khalid as leading the group that shouted slogans for ‘Kashmir ki Azaadi.’
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, JNU students kept up protests for the release of the duo and to drop sedition charges against students. They planned a protest for Tuesday from Mandi House to Parliament, third since the arrest of Kanhaiya on February 9.