E-Paper
No arrests made in connection with 2020 JNU violence: Centre
Several witness accounts and videos indicated that in most places, Delhi Police personnel present at JNU did almost nothing to stop the violence, and, in fact, allowed the attackers to exit the university without apprehending them.
On Tuesday, the Central government informed Parliament that Delhi Police haven’t arrested anyone so far in connection with the violence that took place in the Jawaharlal Nehru University in January 2020.
While replying to the question of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Member of Parliament (MP) Dayanidhi Maran, minister of state for home Nityanand Rai said the Delhi Police have constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Crime Branch to investigate three cases registered at Vasant Kunj police station in south Delhi regarding the January 2020 violence in JNU campus. “The investigation conducted inter-alia includes the examination of witnesses; collection and analysis of footages; and examination of identified suspects. As reported by Delhi Police, no arrest has been made in these cases” Rai further said in Lok Sabha.
Tagging the reply, the DMK leader tweeted, “Sad to see that a year and a half later, no progress has been made to deliver justice to the students of JNU.”
On January 5, 2020, around 100 masked individuals, armed with rods and hammers, unleashed violence at the JNU campus, attacking students and ransacking hostels and other buildings for four hours before the police intervened, leaving 36 students,staff and teachers injured. An FIR against the attack was filed and the case was transferred to the Crime Branch.
Several witness accounts and videos indicated that in most places, police personnel present at JNU did almost nothing to stop the violence, and, in fact, allowed the attackers to exit the university without apprehending them.
JNU Students Union president Aishe Ghosh was among the several students who suffered severe injuries in the attack and her photos with a bleeding head triggered widespread anger across the nation.
Soon, the JNU students launched major protests against the attack both inside and outside the boundaries of the campus. Several student unions and colleges stood in solidarity and protests emerged in various cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Ahmedabad.
Several opposition leaders had denounced the violence and accused the central government of being involved in the attack on students. However, the BJP had said that the violence was “ a desperate attempt by forces of anarchy, who are determined to use students as cannon fodder”
