One Year After JNU Attack, No Action Against Masked Goons Who Attacked Students, Professors

One year after a violent mob barged into the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Campus in the national capital, vandalised property, left many injured, students and professors are still waiting for the police and authorities to take action against those responsible for the attack.

On January 5 2020, an angry mob of masked people stormed the campus and attacked students in hostels. The mob was seen armed with sticks, stones and iron rods, hitting students and professors, breaking windows and damaging property.

The violence had left more than 20 injured and created widespread outrage among students across the country. Many were admitted to hospitals following the attack.

Soon after the attack triggered massive outrage, there were demands for the removal of JNU Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar. Several educational institutions across the country also called for justice for the students and professors.

The role of Delhi Police also came under scanner during the attack and they were questioned for not acting when the mob attacked the campus. The police were also criticised for naming student union leaders in FIRs related to vandalism on the campus.

One year after the horrifying incident, the police has failed to make any arrests even after several videos and images of the masked goons went viral.

"The miscreants were identified and yet after a year, they remain unidentified. There has been no breakthrough. The Delhi Police has sort of given itself a clean chit. It's just very shocking that the coronavirus pandemic has just helped these people sit over this case," Moushumi Basu, associate professor and a member of JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA) said.

"Three FIRs were registered in connection with JNU violence. All these cases are under investigation right now. Some of the suspects were named in the FIRs but amid the COVID-19 pandemic, our investigation also got affected but all these cases are being investigated," a senior police officer said, "

The JNU Students Association and JNU Teachers Association are organising "an evening vigil" at university's Sabarmati Dhabha on Tuesday, January 5, to mark one year of the attack.

"They named me as a suspect in the incident within two days and we are here a year later. There has been no word on those who were openly seen with sticks to attack and faces covered," Aishe Ghosh, president - JNU Students' Union told The News Minute.

"A year later today, nobody knows where they went, where they are. I had asserted then that we are open to investigation and have faith in the judicial system and I still stand by it," Ghosh added.'

Recently, 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 had given a clean chit to the police.

Delhi Police has not been able to name any group for the brutal attack that left 36 injured in the JNU attack. Based on the preliminary findings in the probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), pictures of the nine suspects were released.

The police also claimed that the violence was due to the online registration process and that students in the university were agitated since January 1.

Addressing a press conference, Joy Tirkey, DCP (Crime Branch), had then said the Student Federation of India (SFI), All India Students Association (AISA), Democratic Students Federation (DSF) and All India Student Federation (AISF) had been allegedly "creating a nuisance and threatening students" against the online admission for the winter semester in the varsity.

A year after the brutal attack, the Delhi Police has failed to make any arrests or file a charge sheet.

Also Read: Delhi Police Gives Itself Clean Chit In January 5 JNU Violence