Probe into Ramjas violence likely to be completed by March-end

New Delhi: Delhi Police is likely to complete its investigation into the violence in Delhi University's Ramjas College by the end of this month and it has so far recorded statements of 17 students and teachers.

A team of the Crime Branch, which was handed over the investigation into last month's violence, has so far recorded statements of 17 people, said a senior police officer.

Another team, set up by Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik following the National Human Rights Commission's notice over allegations of "police excesses", is probing the matter simultaneously.

The 17 people spoken to so far by the Crime Branch team include teachers from the Faculty of Arts and the Delhi School of Economics, said a source.

Students from St Stephen's College and Deshbandhu College have also been spoken to by the probe team.

A law student, who had filed a petition in the Delhi High Court demanding action against the policemen who had allegedly assaulted students and journalists during the violence, has also recorded his statement, said the source.

The second inquiry team, headed by Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Praveer Ranjan and comprising the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Vigilance) and the DCP (Special Police Unit for Women and Children), has to submit its report to the Commission by the end of this month.

The team has cross-examined some of the students questioned by the Crime Branch and both the teams are sharing inputs.

"Both the teams are simultaneously looking into the matter. The teams are also sharing evidence and the statements recorded in order to carry out a comprehensive probe. Investigations by both teams are likely to conclude by the end of this month," said an officer privy to the probe.

The Crime Branch team has also issued notices to media channels and the local police in the matter.

"We have issued notices to all media channels the uncut footage of that day. Local police has also been issued a notice to share uncut video recordings of the day," said the officer.

There were complaints about anti-national slogans being raised.

Many of the persons who have been questioned have told the teams that policemen were mere spectators while they were being roughed up and some of them have also alleged that police resorted to violence while dispersing the mob, the source said.

Ramjas College had witnessed large-scale violence between members of the All India Students Association (AISA) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) last month.

The genesis of the clash was an invite to JNU students Umar Khalid and Shehla Rashid to address a seminar on 'Culture of Protests' which was withdrawn by the college authorities following opposition by the ABVP.