The Delhi Police on Tuesday asked people to come forward with information about the violence that took place at the Jawaharlal Nehru University on Sunday evening, ANI reported. At least 34 students and teachers were injured when a masked mob attacked the college.
“All those who are witnesses to JNU violence or have any information about it or have captured any activity on mobiles or camera, are hereby requested to come forward and give their statements/footage/picture to SIT [Special Investigation Team] at Admin Block, JNU Campus,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Joy Tirkey said.
It has been alleged that members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, were responsible for the attack. However, the ABVP has blamed Left organisations on the campus.
Teams from physics, chemistry and biology divisions of the Forensic Science Laboratory were at the JNU campus on Tuesday to collect evidence, PTI reported, citing sources. A team of photography experts was also reportedly present on campus.
The Delhi Police has also requested the Forensic Science Laboratory to send a computer forensics team to analyse CCTV footage at the university. “A Crime Branch team of Delhi Police is probing the case in a scientific and professional manner and evidence is being collected,” Delhi Police Additional Public Relations Officer Anil Mittal said.
The police had on Monday announced that a fact-finding committee will be formed to investigate the violence. Joint Commissioner of Police (Western Range) Shalini Singh, who is heading the panel, also visited the JNU campus on Tuesday and spoke with students and teachers.
It also emerged that the Delhi Police filed two first information reports against Aishe Ghosh, the JNU Students’ Union president, who was injured in the mob attack. The FIRs were filed on Sunday, the same day the violence broke out. However, they relate to alleged vandalism of the server room of the university on January 1 and 4, and attacking security guards to disrupt registration of students for the winter semester. The vandalism was allegedly carried out as part of a protest against the fee hike.
On Tuesday, Ghosh said that she did not take part in Sunday’s violence, and also denied that any such vandalism of the server room had taken place.
Protests have broken out across campuses in the country in solidarity with the victims of the attack at JNU. Some protestors, as well as political parties, have demanded the resignation of JNU Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar. The JNU Students’ Union has accused Kumar of being behind the attack. On Tuesday, Kumar called the violence “unfortunate” and asked students to return to campus.
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