JNU to audit hostels for ‘outsiders’

The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration on Saturday said it would carry out a security audit of hostels to check if there were any “outsiders” or unauthorised

The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration on Saturday said it would carry out a security audit of hostels to check if there were any “outsiders” or unauthorised persons staying in hostels.

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The audit comes after a masked mob went on the rampage on campus last Sunday, leaving students and teachers injured.

In a letter to senior wardens of all eight JNU hostels, Dean of Students Umesh Kadam said the decision was taken on Delhi Police’s order. “With reference to the letter received from the office of the SHO, police station, Vasant Kunj North, advising the Registrar, JNU to have an audit through hostel wardens of JNU to check for any stay of outsiders/ Unauthorised students/ guests residing in the hostels and same may be reported to the SHO immediately on priority,” the letters stated.

According to the letter shared by the administration, Delhi Police had asked the JNU Registrar Pramod Kumar to conduct the audit to find the presence of outsiders at the campus.

The JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU), however, said it would allow the audit only in the presence of their representatives. JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh said the names of some hostel wardens had come up in the Sunday incident. “How can we trust these hostel wardens to carry out the audit when they themselves were present at the time when students were beaten up by the ABVP members. We will only allow this audit in the presence of our representatives or the members of hostel committees,” she said.