.0The Patiala House court today reserved its order on the bail plea of Jawaharlal Nehru University students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, who are in judicial custody in a sedition case. The court has reserved its order on the bail plea till March 18.

During the hearing of the case today, Delhi Police counsel opposed the bail application moved by students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, claiming that eye-witnesses confirned that the two raised anti-national slogans inside the JNU campus during the February 9 event.

"We did not only depend on video footage alone but also relied on statements of 10 independent witness in the case," Delhi Police counsel told the court.

The counsel of the students argued that criticism of government can not be termed as sedition. He said that the students had surrendered voluntarily and cited Delhi government's report that said the video, which showed the students raising "anti-national", was doctored.

The counsel added that the "perception in media and society is that Umar and Anirban did something wrong but that is matter of opinion not of law".

Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar and Anirban were arrested on charges of sedition in connection with a programme organized in support of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru on the university campus on February 9. Many anti-national slogans were raised during the event which led to the arrest of the three students on sedition charges. Kanhaiya was released on bail for 6 months on March.

Meanwhile, a high-level probe panel of the JNU has found Umar and Anirban "guilty" of creating disharmony among students on communal lines. The inquiry committee, in its report, said that the February 9 event was held without permission from the university administration.