A team of senior lawyers set up by the Supreme Court will on Thursday submit a report of the law and order breakdown that took place at the Patiala House Court on Wednesday. Two groups of lawyers engaged in a brawl on Wednesday outside Patiala House Court where Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Student's Union President Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested on charges of sedition, was to be produced for his remand hearing.
In an oral report, the 5-member panel said there was an atmosphere of "fear and terror" that prevailed at the court complex and the police did not act. "There is a serious threat to the life and safety of the accused (Kanhaiya) and this police will be unable to save him."
After a clash between the lawyers, even Kanhaiya was roughed up by lawyers before he was to be produced in court. Delhi Police is facing the fire for not acting on those responsible for the scuffle and being mute spectators to the ugly scenes of violence.
The committee had been rushed to the Patiala House court after being directed by the apex court. It was Rajeev Dhawan, who started giving an account of the panel's visit to the Patiala House Court to a bench of Justices J Chelameswar and AM Sapre, saying he had never seen the crowd of such a proportion as witnessed there and termed it as "an unprecedented situation".
Dushyant Dave joined him saying the atmosphere was surcharged and of "fear and terror". Dhawan said they had spoken to Kanhaiya Kumar who said he was attacked and beaten on his way to the court room and inside, a man in dark spectacles, not in lawyers' dress, had gone near the accused, asked him something and hit him. This man also sat in the court room later, he added.
"How did he get inside the court room when there was a specific order of this court? When the accused asked the police to stop him, no action was taken," Dhawan said.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will meet President Pranab Mukerjee on Thursday to discuss the law and order situation on Delhi. The Delhi cabinet will meet the President at 2 pm on Thursday. “Delhi Cabinet will meet Hon’ble President at 2 pm to discuss Delhi law and order situation (sic),” Kejriwal tweeted on Wednesday.
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