JNU row: Plea in SC for contempt action against ex-Delhi commissioner BS Bassi

New Delhi: A fresh plea was filed on Wednesday in the Supreme Court seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against former Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi and others for their alleged failure in protecting JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar from being assaulted in a trial court in Delhi. The application, filed in a pending petition of ND Jaiprakash who had alleged that he himself was assaulted along with Kanhaiya by persons in black robes in Patiala House Court complex, has referred to the report of Delhi High Court registrar in the entire incident. Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for Jaiprakash, told a bench of Justices J Chelameswar and AM Sapre that the report has confirmed that there were some unauthorised persons inside the court room where Kanhaiya was kept, before being produced. [caption id=“attachment_2637408” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Former Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi. PTI[/caption] The fact that Kanhaiya and others were assaulted by some unauthorised persons constitute contempt of the order of this court, which had asked the police to ensure safety of the student leader and his lawyers, the latest plea has said. Besides Bassi, it has also sought contempt action against other police officers, including JCP MK Meena and DCP Jatin Narwal, for allegedly failing to ensure safety of Kanhaiya and others. Meanwhile, the hearing on the main petition filed by Jaiprakash and Kamini Jaiswal in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) row got deferred to 18 October, as advocate Prashant Bhushan was unwell. On 11 April, the apex court had questioned Delhi Police over the presence of some unsolicited persons in black robes in the courtroom where the JNU leader was allegedly assaulted before being produced in the sedition case. Earlier, the court had sought response from the Centre and Delhi Police on Jaiswal’s plea seeking an SIT probe and initiation of contempt action against three lawyers in the case. These lawyers were allegedly caught in a sting operation talking about the attacks. The plea has sought “suo motu contempt proceeding” against lawyers Vikram Singh Chauhan, Yashpal Singh and Om Sharma on the ground that they have allegedly been caught on camera talking about the attacks. It also sought a direction to set up a Special Investigation Team to probe the incidents of violent attacks on journalists, students, teachers, defence lawyers and Kanhaiya on 15 February and 17 by some advocates in the premises of Patiala House courts during the hearing of the sedition case involving the JNUSU leader. The plea was filed in pursuance of an oral observation by a bench headed by Justice J Chelameswar, which is hearing the matters arising out of violence in the trial court premises in the JNU case, that the allegations are fresh ones and hence, a fresh petition is required to be filed. The plea alleged that the three lawyers interfered in the “administration of justice” and willfully violated the orders passed by the apex court on 17 February. The petition, which also makes Ministry of Home Affairs and Delhi Police as parties, has said facts have come to light that there was “blatant violation of the rule of law” in the trial court premises.