JNU row
JNU rowIANS

Update, 4:50 p.m: The Supreme Court will on Thursday take up the matter of alleged assaults of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) leader Kanhaiya Kumar at the Patiala House Court on Wednesday.

Update, 4:40 p.m.: The panel appointed by the Supreme Court on Wednesday to assess the situation at Patiala House Court said JNUSU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar was assaulted. The six-member committee said "police is not doing their duties."

"Kanhaiya was beaten up while he was brought inside court... We are shocked. There is atmosphere of terror. Small stones were thrown on us," ANI quoted the panel as saying.

The panel told the SC that there is "serious threat" to Kumar's safety and security, Press Trust of India reports.

A medical team has been sent to the Patiala House Court for Kumar's medical examination.

Update, 4:15 p.m.: The Patiala House Court on Wednesday sent Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) leader Kanhaiya Kumar to 14-day judicial custody. Kumar faces charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy allegedly for anti-national activities at the university campus on Feb. 9.

Update, 4 p.m.: The Supreme Court on Wednesday sent a six-member panel of lawyers to assess the situation at the Patiala House Court, where a group of lawyers first attacked a journalist and later manhandled JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar. The panel sent by SC includes lawyers Kapil Sibal, Dushyant Dave, Rajeev Dhawan, Harin Rawal, ADN Rao and Ajit Sinha.

Original Story:

Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) leader Kanhaiya Kumar was on Wednesday reportedly assaulted by a group of lawyers outside Patiala House Court. Earlier, a journalist was manhandled by lawyers gathered outside the court in protest against Kumar.

Kumar was attacked despite the Supreme Court's direction to Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi to provide security to Kumar, his and prosecution's lawyers and journalists. Only five journalists were allowed to be present at the hearing, with 25 allowed to stand outside.

"No advocate other than that of the accused and the prosecution will be present during proceedings in the court room," Hindustan Times quoted the judges as saying on Wednesday morning. 

A scuffle broke out outside Patiala House Court earlier on Wednesday when lawyers protesting against Kumar thrashed a journalist. 

"There were two groups of lawyers. One was shouting slogans like 'Gaddaron ko bahar karo,' and there was another group that supported the JNU student and was yelling 'Kanhaiya tum sangharsh karo hum tumhare saath hain'," Firstpost reporter Tarique Anwar said.

"I went inside and stood next to the police. I took out my phone to send an update to the office and saw the scuffle between the two groups. I took a photo when the group of lawyers protesting against Kanhaiya took my phone, deleted the photo and took me inside and assaulted me. All this happened in front of the Delhi Police," he added.

Another journalist with the Hindu claimed stones were pelted at journalists from inside the court complex.

A group of several lawyers had assaulted journalists, JNU teachers and students on Monday as well. The incident occurred ahead of Kumar's hearing at Patiala House Court. Several journalists in Delhi marched from Press Club of India to the Supreme Court on Tuesday to protest against the Monday attacks. 

Kumar has been booked on sedition charges and criminal conspiracy for reportedly organising an event on Feb. 9 where anti-India slogans were allegedly shouted by JNU students. The event was apparently organised to observe Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru's third death anniversary. Guru was hanged on Feb. 9, 2013, for his involvement in the attack in 2001.