At least 12 students were summoned by the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration to appear before the proctorial committee after a student went missing following a hostel fracas last week.
At least 12 students were summoned by the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration to appear before the proctorial committee after a student went missing following a hostel fracas last week.
Protesters led by the JNU students and teachers unions conducted a gherao of the university’s administrative block alleging that the JNU vice-chancellor acted in an insensitive manner on the issue.
With the first year MSc Biotech student Najeeb Ahmed still untraced for the fifth day, the committee has also asked anyone who wants to depose to come forward and help the investigation. The student has been missing after a brawl in the Mahi-Mandvi hostel on October 14. His parents are also sitting in protest in the university campus.
The JNU teachers’ union has urged the administration to put more pressure on the police to find Ahmed and appealed for him to return without fear of victimisation. Meanwhile, JNU V-C M Jagadesh Kumar and other top officials briefed the media for the first time since the disappearance on October 15 and said that necessary measures have been taken to trace the boy and is also in touch with the family.
“But we are really concerned about his safety and is constantly in touch with the police providing them whatever information required. We also appeal to Najeeb to return to the university. We assure him of all help,” the JNU VC said.
The mood on Wednesday remained tense with large number of students gathering at the administrative block to protest in the afternoon. The protesters raised slogans against the varsity administration and blocked the gates of the building.
Later, the university security staff had to intervened to clear the blockade. But after most of the staff left in the evening, the students again continued with the blockade.
“The blockade is due to the insensitive handling of the matter. The university administration is trying to shield the culprits while refusing to lodge an FIR,” said JNUSU president and the All India Student Association (AISA) leader Mohit Pandey.
