JNU: Missing student’s family accuses admin of inaction
Najeeb Ahmad, a student of School of Biotechnology, went missing on October 15.
The family of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student, who has been missing for the last 13 days, and students’ union have alleged the administration hasn’t taken any action against those who allegedly attacked the missing student during a press conference held at the Press Club of India on Thursday.
Najeeb Ahmad, a student of School of Biotechnology, went missing on October 15.
The JNU students’ union (JNUSU) has alleged that students belonging to RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad had beaten him up while other students alleged Ahmad had slapped a student but there was no violence.
Ahmad’s mother Fatima Nafees said her son might have been kidnapped by those who threatened him as he had left his phone and other belongings in the hostel.
“He doesn’t know many people in the hostel. Why would he leave his phone and wallet in the hostel room if he was going somewhere. He might have been kidnapped by those who threatened him that night. No action is being taken against them. They are not even being questioned,” she said.
Ahmad’s sister Sadaf said that a written statement was taken from him in front of the warden, but no statement was taken from those who attacked him. “Those students have not even been questioned by the administration or police,” she said.
JNUSU said that police should search the jungles in the campus and question the students accused of assaulting Ahmad. It criticised the administration for spreading misinformation by not mentioning about alleged attack on Ahmad in an official summary of the incidents released by the administration.
Read: JNU teachers criticise 25-point summary in missing student case
JNU on Wednesday circulated a 25-point “Summary & update of the Events Mahi-Mandovi Hostel” mentioning that Ahmad had slapped another student “without any provocation” and also “admitted his mistake”.
Teachers said the summary is silent on the beating of Ahmad by a group of students. The summary mentioned that a warden meeting had happened on October 16 to discuss the “scuffle among students”.
Another student Shahid Raza Khan, an eyewitness and resident of Mahi-Mandavi hostel, said that while no one saw Ahmad slapping a student, many of them have seen Ahmad being attacked and yet no action is being taken.
“Vikrant is claiming he was slapped and two more students from his organisation agree with him. But no one else is a witness of the incident so we don’t know what really happened. But all of us saw Najeeb being attacked by a mob. We have given a written complaint to the administration but nothing is being done against them,” Khan said.
A call to boycott classes by JNUSU to protest the university’s alleged lax attitude received mixed reaction from students with some skipping classes and others attending them due to exams and presentations.