Ghazanfar Abbas, IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, Dec 9: After 55 days of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Najeeb Ahmed went missing, varsity administration has decided an immediate transfer of the students from their hostel who were reportedly involved in scuffle with Najeeb on the night of 14th October. Chief Proctor of JNU in the enquiry report submitted to the Vice-Chancellor (VC), has also recommended that a strong warning should be issued to these students against repeating such scuffle in future.
Interestingly, in the latest press note released from the Office of Dean of the Students neither has mentioned the names of the students nor that how many students the transfer order has been served to.
“The Office of the Chief Proctor has submitted its Proctorial enquiry Report on the incident of Mahi-Mandovi Hostel. The report has identified the students involved in the reported scuffle, and has recommended their immediate transfer from their present hostel. It has also recommended that a strong warning should be issued to these students against repeating such scuffle in future,” it reads.
After this press note came, family of Najeeb has accused JNU administration for adopting a partisan approach in the case since beginning and questioned over its intention.
Speaking over the phone to IndiaTomorrow.Net, Mujeeb Ahmad, brother of Najeeb said, “University took a long time for this enquiry while Warden Committee on the very same night took a decision to expel Najeeb from the hostel just on a complaint of Vikrant who alleged that Najeeb slapped him. After Najeeb’s disappearance, rather to search my brother administration made him an ‘accused’. And now when it has been proved that all those students are guilty of assaulting my brother, university would just transfer them from the hostel.”
“This Justice they have done in this case. Is this justice?” he asked distressingly.
JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) has also raised serious doubts on the intention of adminstration and pointed out its visible complicity in the disappearance of Najeeb Ahmad.
“We are sure that VC has forced to change the report to shield Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists and changed many important points that says that there was a group violence on Najeeb (recognised on 16th Oct warden committee report). This mild punishment shows that even ABVP activist will nearly lynch somebody, they will get the mildest punishment that too without any public pronouncement,” it said in a statement.
“Even Delhi high court has recognized some serious facts around it, but still JNU admin is taking such a lenient view to shield ABVP activists,” it pointed out.
Though, Vice-Chancellor of JNU has approved the proctorial enquiring report but has also suggested that after Najeeb Ahmed is found, the disciplinary action awarded by the Warden’s Committee for vacating hostel premises by Mr. Ahmed may be revisited, adding an appeal to Najeeb Ahmed to return to university and resume academic pursuits without apprehensions.
Earlier, the Proctorial enquiry found at least one student naming Vikrant Kumar guilty of assaulting Najeeb. Chief Proctor of JNU issued a show cause notice to Vikrant on 7th Nov with seven days time to reply too.
This enquiry was set up by the JNU administration to investigate the 14th Oct incident of a reported scuffle with Najeeb, first year student of M.Sc. (Biotechnology) with some members of ABVP. Najeeb went missing on 15th Oct, the very next day. Eyewitness and some residents of the hostel alleged that on that night, Najeeb was brutally assaulted by a mob of 15-20 students.
An FIR of abdustion was lodged from the family of Najeeb to the local police on 16th Oct while Najeeb has not been traced yet. Now, a Habeas corpus petition filed by Najeeb’s mother Nafees Fatima, is pending in Delhi High Court.
