Jamia incident probe picks up pace; NHRC speaks to students, VC meets cops

Jamia Millia Islamia University Vice-Chancellor Najma Akhtar met Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik and urged him to lodge an FIR in connection with the police action on campus last month, officials said. Akhtar met Patnaik and other senior police officials. The development comes a day after she said that the process of filing an FIR against Delhi Police will begin on January 14.

On Monday, Akhtar interacted with the students gathered outside her office to protest against the police entering the campus without permission during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in December.

NHRC team visits Jamia Millia Islamia

"Delhi police entered the campus without permission and the process of filing FIR against Delhi Police will begin from tomorrow," Akhtar told students. A National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) team on Tuesday visited the Jamia Millia Islamia to record statements of the students who were injured during the police action on the campus last month.

After sending a team to probe the violence on Jamia Millia Islamia campus, the rights panel has decided to further probe the case till January 17, ANI's sources said.

On Tuesday, around 35-40 students were present to record their statements with the NHRC team, which has deputed a team led by its SSP, Manzil Saini, to conduct an inquiry to know whether incidents in the varsity involved a violation of human rights, officials said. 

"After conducting an on-spot inquiry, NHRC has decided to further probe the Jamia university incident. The rights panel team will conduct this investigation from January 14-17," a source said.

According to the NHRC, it had received complaints in December alleging illegal detention of students by police and denial of legal and medical access to injured students at the police station, following which it had registered a case and deputed a probe team. 

Exams in the university to be rescheduled

Najma Akhtar on Monday announced that the exam dates of the varsity will be rescheduled and assured students that security inside the campus has been increased. "We will reschedule the exams, will discuss with deans and make a new schedule. Security has been doubled in the campus after the incident," Akhtar said.

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On December 15, as violence over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) flared up, police personnel entered the campus and allegedly cracked down on students. According to students, police personnel laid siege to the campus and those injured were not even allowed to get medical attention. Students said windows of the library were smashed and around 50-60 students were inside when policemen gheraoed it.

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(With agency inputs)