JNU row: HC asks police to conduct remand proceedings secretly

New Delhi : The Delhi High Court today asked the police to conduct remand proceedings secretly so that arrested students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya are not harmed.Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Prem Nath has been asked to coordinate the proceedings to avoid any unpleasant incident.The High Court said that all concerned are expected to ‘maintain confidentiality’ in respect of remand proceedingsThe High Court asked the registrar general to depute a Metropolitan Magistrate to conduct the remand proceedings.Meanwhile, the High Court deferred the hearing on the bail plea of JNU students’ union president Kanhaiya Kumar to February 29.During the hearing, the High Court observed that safety must be ensured during the proceedings to Kanhaiya and another JNU student Umar Khalid, who have been booked on charges of sedition.The Delhi Police told the court that they need Kanhaiya’s remand in order to confront him with the other ‘accused’. The High Court said it is the statutory right of the investigating agency at this stage to ask for a remand.The High Court had yesterday issued a notice to the Delhi Police and asked it file a status report on the bail plea of Kanhaiya.Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi yesterday said the circumstances surrounding the JNU sedition row had changed and they were now opposing Kanhaiya’s bail plea as he is “bound to impact the investigation”.