Absconding professor seeks exemption from personal hearing

Fearing police would arrest him if he appears before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Mohammed Ghazi Shahnawaz, a professor of Jamia Millia Islamia, accused of torturing his domestic help, has requested for exemption from personal hearing.

Fearing police would arrest him if he appears before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Mohammed Ghazi Shahnawaz, a professor of Jamia Millia Islamia, accused of torturing his domestic help, has requested for exemption from personal hearing.

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CWC had passed an order on November 4, asking Delhi Police to arrest Shahnawaz and produce him before the committee on November 11. “He is still absconding but his lawyer has applied for anticipatory bail with the sessions court. The lawyer has also filed an application with CWC, requesting them to exempt Shahnawaz from personal hearing,” said a senior police officer requesting anonymity.

Earlier, Shahnawaz had applied for anticipatory bail with the lower court but it was rejected after which Shahnawaz went absconding.

Shahnawaz is assistant professor with department of psychology. He is known for giving lecture on child abuse as his profile on the university website says he publishes journal related to child abuse. Delhi Police have been trying to trace the professor from the past two-and-half months after a 10-year-old child was recovered from Mathura Road near Badarpur in August.

“Zubin (name changed) told us that he used to work as a domestic help and his employer is a teacher. He didn’t have much details of his employer. He said that his employer used to torture him. He even had burnt mark on his body,” a senior police officer said.