Fatima Nafees, mother of JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, who went missing in 2016, said on Monday, “my wait for Najeeb will continue till my last breath,” shortly after a Delhi court allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to close the case.
She said that she would speak to her lawyers to explore a future course of action.
A Delhi court allowed the CBI to close the investigation into Najeeb's disappearance, saying that the agency had “exhausted all options” in its search.
Najeeb, a first-year student at Jawaharlal Nehru University, went missing from the Mahi-Mandvi hostel after a scuffle with some students allegedly affiliated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) the previous night.
‘I will talk to my lawyers’: Fatima Nafees on Najeeb case closure
“I will talk to my lawyers. But my wait for Najeeb will continue till my last breath. I pray for him every day, and I hope I will get justice one day,” Nafees told the news agency PTI.
Over the years, Nafees has participated in numerous protests demanding a fair and thorough investigation. She also said her health has deteriorated during this prolonged pursuit of justice.
{{/usCountry}}Over the years, Nafees has participated in numerous protests demanding a fair and thorough investigation. She also said her health has deteriorated during this prolonged pursuit of justice.
{{/usCountry}}The CBI had closed its investigation in October 2018 after its efforts to locate Najeeb Ahmed yielded no results. The agency submitted its closure report before the court with prior approval from the Delhi high court.
Nafees’ counsel had earlier described the case as “political”, alleging that the “CBI has succumbed to the pressure of its masters.”
The investigation was initially handled by the Delhi Police before being transferred to the CBI.
‘Closure for Najeeb's mother still eludes us’: Court on CBI case closure
In her order, additional chief judicial magistrate Jyoti Maheshwari said the court “earnestly hoped” that Najeeb would still be found.
“This court expresses its regret that while the proceedings in the present case end with this closure report, a closure for Najeeb's mother and other loved ones, still eludes us,” the judge added.
While accepting the agency’s closure report, the court allowed the CBI to reopen the investigation if credible new information on Najeeb Ahmed’s whereabouts emerges and to inform the court accordingly.
With PTI inputs