Four-member NHRC team visits Jamia, meets students who faced police action on December 15

It may be recalled that Delhi Police lathi-charged and fired teargas on Jamia students after the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act near the university campus turned violent on December 15.

A four-member team of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) headed by a DSP visited Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi on Tuesday (January 14) and recorded the statement of students who were either injured or witnessed the police brutality inside the university library on December 15, 2020. It may be recalled that Delhi Police lathi-charged and fired teargas on students after the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act near the university campus turned violent on December 15.

A total of 25 students out of 40 present today gave their version in writing to the NHRC team. Before written statements, the NHRC team interacted with all the students and heard the stories of police action on the students of varsity on December 15.  The NHRC team will visit Jamia on Wednesday (January 15) again for recording the statement of remaining students, employees and security personnel of the university. It is learnt that the NHRC team will visit the university on January 16, 17 too.

On Monday (January 13), the JMI Vice-Chancellor in consultation with the Deans, Head of Departments and other officials had announced that the ongoing semester exams in the varsity stands cancelled till further notice.

The Jamia administration had also announced that the new schedule will be declared later. Jamia VC Najma Akhtar said that a decision has also been taken that the administration will also explore the possibility of moving court for the registration of FIR in the December 15, 2019 police brutality in university library case at the earliest.

Addressing a group of protesting students, the VC said that the university administration had already followed all possible steps for the registration of FIR. The university administration has also given its complaint to SHO Jamia Nagar and it's copy to CP Delhi and DCP South East. University has also written letters to Joint CP Southern Range and DCP Crime for the registration of FIR earlier.

The varsity was closed on December 16 after protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) turned violent on December 15. It had also cancelled the examinations and declared vacation till January 5, 2020.

Speaking to students on December 15 incident, Vice-Chancellor Akhtar said, "Delhi Police entered the campus without permission and the process of filing an FIR against Delhi Police will begin from tomorrow (Tuesday)."

"We will get the FIR done. If you want to listen then be quiet. You all know what we did. We have done what we could before. We are government employees, despite this, we have sent the objections. Delhi Police came inside our campus without taking permission and the students were beaten up, we will not tolerate it. The FIR will definitely be done," added Akhtar.