Jamia Student Files Case Against Delhi Police, Seeks Compensation

Mohammad Mustafa, a second-year MA student, was injured during the protest at Jamia Millia Islamia in December.

Mohammad Mustafa, a second-year MA student who was injured during the protest at Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia in December 2019, has filed a case against the Delhi Police in the High Court demanding compensation of Rs 1 crore.

(Photo: ANI)

Mohammad Mustafa, a second-year MA student who was injured during the protest at Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia in December 2019, has filed a case against the Delhi Police in the High Court demanding compensation of Rs 1 crore, ANI reported on Tuesday, 18 February.

This comes amid the furore over the two videos that recently emerged of Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia University — one from the Jamia Coordination Committee and another reportedly from Delhi Police sources each trying to tell a different version of the events from 15 December 2019, when the Delhi Police entered the campus and allegedly unleashed violence on students.

“I would like to ask the government if a person is not safe in the library, where else is he or she safe? I would like to ask the Delhi Police what my crime was. I have filed a compensation case worth Rs 1 crore against the Delhi Police,”

Mohammad Mustafa to ANI

"That day, I was studying in the library from morning onwards. Around 6 pm, police entered the premises without any warning and started lathi charging at everybody. I was beaten too even though I was not connected to any protest," Mustafa said.

He also stated that he had three demands - compensation, an FIR and an independent inquiry into the matter.

Two Narratives of Evening at Jamia Emerge

Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC), a group consisting of students and alumni of the university on Saturday released CCTV footage, which they claim is from 15 December 2019 when the Delhi Police had entered their campus after protests against the CAA-NRC turned violent.

JCC’s video shows armed policemen entering a hall and thrashing students who were supposedly sitting and studying there. The Jamia students claim the video is from the university’s Old Reading Hall in the MA/MPhil department.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Delhi Police released new CCTV footage, which claims to show students purportedly enter the Old Reading Hall in the MA/MPhil Department of the Jamia Milia Islamia university, allegedly carrying stones in their hands.

The students can then be seen barricading the door shut with tables.

The university administration, however, clarified that they have not released the video while the Delhi Police said that they will investigate the matter.

On Monday, Special Commissioner Praveer Ranjan had said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will look into the matter.

(With inputs from ANI.)