Delhi Police Gives Itself Clean Chit In January 5 JNU Violence

A Delhi Police fact-finding committee constituted to "probe the sequence of events" and "negligence on part of local police" in connection with the violence inside Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus on January 5, has given a clean chit to the police, The Indian Express reported.

Over a hundred masked people entered the JNU campus with sticks and rods on January 5, leaving 36 students, teachers and staff injured.

An FIR was registered and the case was transferred to the Crime Branch, however, no arrest has been made so far.

The Delhi Police was criticiSed over its inaction against the violent mob, however, the police have maintained that couldn't enter JNU without the permission of the university authorities.

A committee, headed by Joint Commissioner of Police (Western Range) Shalini Singh, was constituted and comprised four inspectors and two ACPs.

During the enquiry, the committee recorded the statements of then DCP (south-west), Devender Arya, then ACP Ramesh Kakkar, SHO Vasant Kunj (North) Rituraj, and Inspector Anand Yadav, who was at the administrative block on the morning of January 5.

"Their job was to ensure compliance with the High Court order directing police to ensure that no dharna or protest takes place within 100 metres of the admin block. All those police personnel did not have any weapons or lathis. The PCR call started from 2.30 pm and in total, 23 calls were made from inside the campus to the police," an officer said.

In their report, the committee mentioned that eight PCR calls were made from 3.45 pm to 4.15 pm related to the thrashing of students at Periyar hostel. Later, 14 PCR calls, were made related to incidents of violence and gathering by students from 4.15 pm to 6 pm.

"DCP Arya visited the campus along with his subordinates around 5-5.15 pm, but returned to the main gate as the situation appeared normal at the time. The officials during enquiry also showed Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar's WhatsApp message, which was sent at 6.24 pm to Arya, the ACP and the SHO, asking them to be stationed at the gates. At 7.45 pm, Registrar Pramod Kumar handed over an official letter to Delhi Police, seeking increased presence and deployment on the premises," an officer said.

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