SC transfers Kanhaiya’s bail plea to HC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday transferred the bail plea of JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar to the Delhi High Court and asked it to expeditiously deal with the matter, while declining to entertain the petition saying its direct intervention will be a dangerous proposition.
“You are leading a dangerous proposition. If this court will entertain it, it will become a precedent which will be available to all the accused in the country. Wherever there will be sensitive cases involving political persons or prominent persons or others…you know the atmosphere in the court.
“So in every case if it is said that Supreme Court is only the court, it would be a dangerous precedent,” a bench comprising justices J Chelameswar and A M Sapre said. Further, it said, “Remember, this is not the only case of this type.”
The bench took an assurance from Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar that in the “prevailing extraordinary situation” pertaining to this matter, the Government of India and the Delhi Police Commissioner would provide adequate safety and security to the accused and a stream of lawyers who will be appearing in the High Court.
The bench also said that the counsel for all the parties would be given preference while entering into the court room at the High Court and the Registrar General would be responsible for limiting number of people to be allowed to enter inside. The bench which asked the High Court to expeditiously deal with the matter did not give any specific date for listing it.
The apex court was not in agreement with the arguments advanced by a battery of senior advocates including Soli Sorabjee, Raju Ramachandran and Rajeev Dhawan that extra- ordinary law and order situation, threat to life of the accused and his counsel, hostile environment at the lower court and the simmering situation compelled them to rush directly to it. (PTI)