New Delhi: The Delhi Police Friday named nine students, including JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh, in connection with the violence that took place on the campus Sunday night and circumstances that led to it.
While no one has been detained so far, the police will send notices to the students and call them for questioning regarding the violence, DCP (Crime) Joy Tirkey said at a press conference.
Photographs of the identified students, procured from a screengrab of CCTV footage and social media platforms, have also been released.
The police also talked about a WhatsApp group — ‘Unity against Left’ — and is probing its alleged involvement in the violence. Yogendra Bhardwaj is the admin of the group, said the police. While Bhardwaj is believed to be a member of the ABVP, the police did not confirm his affiliation.
The police specifically named Left-backed student outfits during the press conference, but did not make any mention of the ABVP.
The nine students named by the police are — Chunchun Kumar, Pankaj Mishra, Aishe Ghosh, Waskar Vijay, Sucheta Talukdar, Priya Ranjan, Dolan Sawant, Yogendra Bhardwaj and Vikas Patel.
Ghosh is a member of the AISA. While Kumar, Mishra and Talukdar are also members of Left-affiliated outfits, the affiliation of other students couldn’t be ascertained.
Also read: On JNU attack, Raghuram Rajan says easy to blame leadership but people responsible too
Violence linked to fee hike protest
The Delhi Police, as did the JNU administration, linked the Sunday violence to the ongoing fee hike protest in the university, which started in October last year.
The police said the members of Left student outfits, who have been protesting against the fee hike, hampered the semester exam registration process.
“Students belonging to the Left groups had been protesting on the campus since October and were preventing students who wanted to register, from doing so,” said Tirkey.
They also linked the Sunday incident to the events that took place on the campus on 3 January and 4 January.
“On 3 January, students from (Left affiliated) AISF, SFI, DSF and AISA entered the server room on JNU campus at 1 pm and broke down the system, heckled the staff and shut the servers. Students who were trying to register were hassled because of the shutdown and, hence, JNU police complained to us,” Tirkey said.
Case of assault, criminal intimidation registered
The DCP said a case of assault, criminal intimidation and damage to public property has been registered.
“On 4 January as well, some miscreants entered the server room and damaged the server again. On 5 January, some students who wanted to register for the semester were sitting on a bench in the campus when some people came there and a scuffle ensued between them,” said the DCP.
“Some security staff members tried to save the students but they were also injured in the scuffle. Later, at around 3.45 pm members of the Left (outfits) attacked specific rooms in Periyar hostel. Their faces were muffled (covered) but we could identify some of them. (JNUSU) President Aishe Ghosh was also involved in the hostel attack,” Tirkey added.
Later in the evening of 5 January, the DCP said, there was a teachers’ meeting taking place in front of Sabarmati hostel when a group of masked people came and attacked the teachers and the students.
“The same people went to Sabarmati hostel and targeted specific rooms there as well,” Tirkey said.
The officer, however, clarified this is just a preliminary finding of their investigation and more facts will emerge in the days to come.
The DCP also hinted at the involvement of students, and not outsiders, in the Sunday violence. “The JNU campus is so big and complicated, how can outsiders enter the campus and know all the routes and target specific rooms? This has to be the job of insider elements.”
The Delhi Police is taking help of CCTV footage collected from the campus and accounts of various witnesses for its investigation. They are also looking at social media platforms and videos of the incidents made available to them by various sources.
Also read: 3 JNU profs move Delhi HC to preserve CCTV footage, digital evidence from Sunday’s violence
Aishe Ghosh has been leading the JNU goons in violently stopping other students from registering for the semester and taking the exams. In short, she and her gang of goondas have been preventing others from pursuing their life and liberty. Using violence to ruin other students’ life is a heinous crime of the worst kind. These goons deserve the full wrath of the law.
Agenda oocha rahe hamara. Did delhi police close investigation? Left-Librandu adda…lol
Breathtaking stuff! One can’t even make this up if one wanted to. The sheer audacity and the brazenness of it, after the whole world has seen the visuals of the goons attacking the students in the hostels.
And going forward one can probably guess what to expect in the legal system, after some very interesting recent cases of bail denying for 3 months and another one of protestors asked to take lessons from police officers on CAA.
The true story is beginning to emerge. There was violence going on for three days. We now know that there was violence by goons is Periyar hostel, We also know that JNU equipment was destroyed. And, finally, there was violence by masked goons. Let the probe continue. Let us also remember that just because leftist or rightist students were involved, it does not mean that the political leadership of major parties were involved. The Indian press appears headed for more infamy for failing to investigate fully. Let us all agree that every student who was involved in these incidents will be expelled. They should also face criminal charges but our judges will see to it that there is no resolution to any case for 20 years.
This is purely subjective, one could be completely wrong. However, my sense is that these events will cause so much public revulsion and anger, they will sweep AAP back to power. It is possible CM Arvind Kejriwal is studiously avoiding wading into this controversy for precisely this reason.
It is God’s grace – no compassion on the part of her assailants – that President Aishe Ghosh is with us today. That she has been chosen on priority to be worthy of questioning defies comprehension even amongst those who are a little inured to how these things are dealt with. 2. The masked assailants were provided safe passage by the cops. Unlikely that any of them will ever be apprehended, brought to justice. A growing stain will remain in the court of public opinion.
Finally Aishe Ghosh remains the main target of the Rightist and the Delhi police who gave a cleanest chit to ABVP. A direct control from the centre has proven how we are shaping the future of our country. The whole world is watching the brutality via video available, still the Govt. agencies deny and book the injured girl even after taking all pains. Similar moves are watched in countries where Dictatorship is the style of governance. Little hope from the courts who may neglect the matter at priority stage and without questioning the Delhi police. More brutal videos are under circulation on social media showing the brutality of U.P. Police on Arabic Madrassa students beating mercilessly . Is this the Government we all voted for, or is it simply the cost of questioning the Govt. for their motives based on religion rather on humanity. I hope more horrific stories may emerge by the time internet is restored along with freedom of speech and expression. This is high time for the BJP to look beyond the election agendas or the RSS as we already face a daunting task to lift the economy from the graves. More may follow as another 4 years in office may bring more frustration within the masses with little reprieve from the courts doing justice to stop this menace.