Jamia to Move Court for Filing FIR Against Police Action on 15 Dec

Students barged into the office premises after breaking the lock on the main gate and raised slogans against the VC.

Jamia students try to break a lock to enter the vice chancellor’s office, demanding an FIR against the Delhi police’s use of force against students on 15 December 2019.

(Photo: PTI)

The Jamia Millia Islamia University on Wednesday, 15 January, said that it will move the court for registration of an FIR against Delhi Police, officials told news agency PTI.

The decision to move court was taken at an emergent Executive Council meeting, they said.

According to the officials, the varsity will move court seeking it to direct police to register FIR in connection with the police action on campus on 15 December.

Jamia Millia Islamia Vice Chancellor Najma Akhtar on Tuesday, 14 January, met Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik and urged him to lodge an FIR in connection with the police action on campus last month, officials said.

Akhtar met Patnaik and other senior police officials.

On Monday, Akhtar announced that the ongoing semester exams stand cancelled till further notice, news agency ANI reported. The new schedule will be declared later, the report added.

After being confronted by the students, on Tuesday, she had said that the process of filing the FIR against the police for their excesses on students on 15 December 2019 will begin on Tuesday.

“The Delhi Police entered the campus without permission and the process of filing an FIR against Delhi Police will begin from tomorrow (14 January).”

Najma Akhtar, Vice Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia

The announcement came after the students barged into the Vice Chancellor's office premises after breaking the lock on the main gate and raised slogans against her.

Akhtar tried to pacify the students and said attempts were being made to file an FIR but it has not been registered yet. The vice chancellor said she has raised the matter with the government and has also sought legal course in the matter.

Security has also been doubled on the campus, Akhtar said.

Angry students claimed that notices were given to vacate the hostel post the violence, a charge denied by Akhtar.

Saeed Fahad, a student, said FIRs have been registered against those who were demanding their rights during protest. The real accused are still at large, he said referring to the police crackdown.

Adil, an engineering student, said not even a single FIR has been filed in connection with last month's violence.

On 15 December, the Delhi Police entered Jamia Millia Islamia, and fired tear gas shells on students, claiming that the protests inside the campus had turned violent. Reports suggest that four buses and two police vehicles were torched in the violence.

(With inputs from PTI)