New Delhi: Taking a firm stand against the event organised to protest hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, Jawaharlal Nehru University today rusticated Umar Khalid for one semester and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar for violating disciplinary norms.
In addition to rustication, Umar has also been slapped with a penalty of Rs 20,000.
Strict action has also been taken against 14 other students including Anirban Bhattacharya and Mujeeb Gattoo in connection with the February 9 event where the former has been rusticated till July 16 and from July 23, he has been ordered out of bound from JNU campus for five years. Gattoo has been rusticated for two semesters.
Facing a fine of Rs 10,000 along with Kanhaiya Kumar is JNUSU joint secretary Saurabh Sharma, whereas former JNUSU president Ashutosh Kumar has been imposed with Rs 20,000 penalty. Ashutosh has also been withdrawn from hostel facility.
Among others, Rama Naga, Ananth Kumar, Sweta Raj, Rubina and Chintu Kumari have been slapeed with Rs 20,000 fine while Banojyotsna Lahiri and Draupadi Gosh have been made out of bound from campus for five years.
The decision has been taken by the High Level Enquiry Committee (HLEC) which was set up by JNU Administration. The committee initially had three members but was later expanded to include two more faculty members.
In a press release by the university, it has been stated that some students who held ‘Poetry Reading’ event on the theme ‘A Country without a Post Office’ did not have the approval of the Administration and as it was alleged later some participants in the event indulged in objectionable sloganeering.
It further said that the HLEC submitted its report after thorough investigation on 11 March 2016. The conclusion was landed upon by the committee on basis of “depositions, perusal of video clips (provided by JNU Security and authenticated by forensic tests) and examination of documents on record.”
According to HLEC’s findings, application for holding this event circumvented permission process and the organizers disobeyed administration’s instructions, said the press release.
