New video clips released by JCC and Delhi Police reignite Jamia violence case

Two months after violence at the Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi, the issue has once again resurfaced after the Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC) released a video that purportedly showed the Delhi Police beating students at the library in the varsity.

However, in a counter-claim, the Delhi Police Crime Branch also released a video in which some protesters were allegedly seen entering the reading hall of the university with stones in their hands. The police claimed that the persons in the video are ‘rioters’ who took refuge during the crackdown on December 15.

Sources, quoted by news agency PTI, said that in the clip people are purportedly seen entering the university’s library in a rush. Some have their face covered. As soon as they enter the library, those present inside the room can be seen pushing tables and chairs to block the main door. However, it does not have details of the timing and date of the incident.

In another video, people are seen in the gangway with some covering their faces, while at least two of them are carrying stones. The footage was captured roughly at around 6.04 pm on December 15.

The Delhi Police has also said that it will investigate the matter. “Some videos have surfaced related to December 15 Jamia violence incident. SIT has been formed to investigate the matter. Sequence of events to be established. Crowd as seen at Jamia library in videos includes students as well as outsiders. Probe on,” Delhi Police Special CP P Ranjan, quoted by ANI, said.

High Court issues notice to Centre, Delhi government, police on injured student’s plea for compensation

As the Jamia issue resurfaced once again, a student from university filed a petition in Delhi High Court seeking compensation from injury during the protests anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests at the university. After this, the Delhi High Court sought response of the Centre, AAP government and police on the plea by a student.

A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar issued notice to the three seeking their stand on the student’s petition which has alleged that both his legs were broken by police when he was studying in the university library.

The plea by Shayaan Mujeeb, filed through advocate Nabila Hasan, contends that he has spent over Rs 2 lakh on treatment of the injuries suffered by him.

Earlier another student, Mohd Minhajuddin, had moved a plea seeking a probe into the incident and compensation for injuries suffered by him. Minhajuddin, according to his plea, had lost vision in one eye in the incident.

Opposition corners government on police brutality in Jamia violence

As the JCC released a video which purportedly showed police thrashing students in Jamia, the opposition has once against attacked the government over the violence in the varsity.

Sharing the video on Twitter, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said if no action is taken even after the video, then the government’s intentions will stand exposed. Priyanka also accused Home Minister Amit Shah and the Delhi Police of “lying” that Jamia students were not beaten up inside the library.

“Look at how Delhi Police is blindly assaulting students in the library. A boy is flashing his book but the policeman is continuing to attack him with batons,” she said in a tweet in Hindi.

CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury also said the police’s act is “unconscionable” and “unacceptable”. “Every defence of police action on students in universities, offered by Amit Shah, is untrue, misleading and politically motivated. Delhi police comes directly under Modi-Shah and this is how it treats young students studying in a library. Shame,” Yechury tweeted.

Former Lieutenant Governor of Delhi also said that the Delhi Police should make a statement on the video while saying that if a student entered the library carrying stone that is also condemnable and there should be a proper investigation into this.

However, Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank asserted that attempts to denigrate institutions like JNU and Jamia will not be tolerated. “Be it JNU, Jamia or other institutions, all of them are very good. I am of the view that those who try to denigrate these institutions will not be tolerated at any cost,” he had said.

What happened on December 15 in Jamia?

The protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens had turned violent in Jamia on December 15 with clashes between the police and the agitators. The police alleged that protesters pelted stones at them and torched several vehicles following which they lathi-charged. Several students were injured in the police crackdown.