As many as 28 students, including Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) President Nitish Kumar, Vice President Manish and General Secretary Munteh Fatima, were detained and brought to Kapashera Police Station after a scuffle with police earlier on Saturday 18 October evening over registration of FIR against ABVP.
A protest by left-leaning student groups at JNU, demanding registration of an FIR against the ABVP over alleged violence, turned tense as students accused the Delhi Police of a “brutal assault” while police said protesters tore down barricades, abused police officers and also manhandled them during the protest.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Amit Goel said around 6:00 pm, around 70-80 students gathered at JNU West Gate and “broke police barricades, manhandled personnel and obstructed traffic” on Nelson Mandela Marg.
Amit Goel also said that six policemen were injured in the attack and the students were detained to avoid any untoward incident. “A total of 28 students, including JNUSU officials, have been detained to avoid any untoward incident,” said the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest).
Meanwhile, JUNSU president Nitish Kumar alleged that the police beat up the students. Also read | Clash breaks out at JNU over Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam’s ‘portrayal’ as Ravan on Dussehra
JNUSU President Nitish Kumar says, “When the general meeting on JNUSU elections started, Adviser Rajat was beaten up by ABVP goons. We protested to ensure things went peacefully. But it didn’t and we adjourned the meeting at 6 am. Once we got out, the ABVP goons held us hostage for 2 hours…We called the police for 2 hours castes S and sluli. Singh reached there but did not intervene. We were beaten. They also beat me up, my kurta was torn. We resisted and somehow got out.”
“We registered a police complaint but no FIR was registered. So we marched to Vasant Kunj PS and demanded an FIR, but the police put up barricades and stopped us. The police beat up the students. My clothes are torn, my mobile phone was stolen and my slippers are broken. We demand registration of an FIR. Our detention here is illegal,” he told ANI.
Meanwhile, the All India Students’ Association (AISA) said in a statement that the JNUSU president and several students were “brutally beaten up”. “The JNUSU president and other students were brutally raped by the Delhi Police when they demanded an FIR against ABVP violence across school GBMs,” AISA said.
The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) also alleged that the police “pulled the hair of female students and manhandled them, including male staff”. It said SPS councilor Abhishek was “brutally beaten up” and taken to hospital.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) denied all allegations.
