The three lawyers accused of assaulting journalists and JNU student Kanhaiya Kumar at the Patiala House Courts complex said on Thursday that their lives were under threat from “anti-national elements”.
The lawyers Vikram Chauhan, Yashpal Singh and Om Sharma approached the police seeking security for themselves, their families, and properties. Letters written by the trio in the matter were addressed to the Station House Officer (SHO) of Sabzi Mandi police station. Senior officers said they would go through the contents of the letter before deciding on the merits of the plea.
After criticism of alleged slow action against the trio, the police had questioned and arrested them one by one over the last few days. In each case, they were granted bail within hours.
Speaking to media , Yashpal Singh alleged that each time the three of them had arrived at the Tilak Marg police station for questioning, they were greeted by dozens of students who shouted slogans against them.
“Since the media has made us villains and already declared us guilty, it is likely that anti-national forces may attack us,” Mr. Singh said.
The three were arrested after police registered an FIR taking suo motu cognisance of the assault allegedly involving lawyers. Detailed statements submitted by the alleged victims in these assault cases were not considered by the police.
The lawyers, particularly Yashpal Singh and Vikram Chauhan, have been in the news ever since the assault. While in one video Yashpal was allegedly seen trying to force a TV news reporter to shout patriotic slogans during a march, a sting operation by another channel purportedly showed Yashpal and Vikram bragging about how they had thrashed Kanhaiya Kumar in court till he urinated in his pants.
