Afzal Guru row: JNU panel holds 21 students guilty

TIL Desk/National/New Delhi-The appellate authority, which heard the pleas of the 21 JNU students who were penalised in connection with the controversial February 9 event, has found all of them guilty of indiscipline even as the financial penalty imposed on some of them has been reduced.

“The panel has found guilty the 21 students who were penalised in connection with the February 9 event. The punishment still stands, but fine imposed on a few students has been reduced. Fresh letters informing them of the decision have been issued,” a source said.

The punishment granted to Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya remained same while there was no clarity on JNU student union president Kanhaiya Kumar’s punishment, according to the source. The trio were arrested in a sedition case over the event on campus against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised and are now out on bail.

Students given some relief in the financial penalty include Rama Naga who has been asked to pay Rs 10,000 instead of Rs 20,000, Ashutosh Kumar Rs 15,000 instead of Rs 20,000 and Saurabh Sharma, the ABVP member who had complained against the February 9 event, Rs 5,000 instead of Rs 10,000.