Delhi Police submitted their action taken report (ATR) regarding the violence at an anti-CAA protest at Jamia Millia Islamia to a Delhi court on Monday, 16 March. In the ATR, Delhi Police stated they were forced to enter the campus in order to save the 'innocent students' trapped inside.
As per the The Indian Express, the ATR was a response to the plea by the university, filed by advocate Asghar Khan, which claimed Delhi Police officers who entered Jamia, beat up and abused students, further breaking the library gate and using tear-gas shells on campus, and thus said an FIR against the police should be registered.
Following the filing of the plea, Metropolitan Magistrate Rajat Goyal had directed the police to submit an action taken report.
ATR: Entered Campus to Rescue Students, ‘Ensure Normalcy’
In their report, Delhi Police stated, “With a view to contain the violence and maintain, the law and order, the police was constrained to enter the university campus. The police personnel could successfully contain the violent activity by temporarily apprehending 52 persons under section 65 of the Delhi Police Act… It is submitted that the said action was required to be taken in light of the ongoing violence from within University campus and to rescue innocent students trapped inside and to ensure normalcy (sic.)”
In response to the university’s allegations that no action was being taken against the accused persons, the police stated that the complaint of the Jamia Registrar was “generalized in nature and since the individuals have already filed Writs in the Hon’ble High court of Delhi seeking redressal of their general grievances. It is, therefore, requested that the present application may be kindly dismissed.”
The ATR stated that the “rioters had destroyed/damaged the lights within the University campus and therefore, it was difficult to distinguish (between) innocent students and rioters,” due to which, “all were asked to be evacuated with their ‘hands up’ since this exercise was undertaken as it was already dark in the late evening."
The court has listed the matter for further hearing.
(With inputs from The Indian Express.)
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