India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 21— The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has constituted a team to probe the last week police crackdown on the students inside the campus of Jamia Millia Islamia. A huge number of policemen had barged into the campus without permission from the university administration Sunday evening (Dec. 15) and resorted to lathi-charge on the students in hostels and even in the library, resulting in the injuries to dozens of students.
“The NHRC has deputed a team led by its SSP, Ms. Manzil Saini to conduct an on-the-spot inquiry to know whether incidents in Jamia Millia Islamia involved violation of Human Rights. The Commission has received complaints in the matter and registered a case,” said the rights body in a media statement Friday.
The fact-finding team will submit its report, “which will be analysed and placed before the Commission for appropriate recommendations in the matter.”
The complaints received in the Commission include allegations of illegal detention of students of Jamia by Police and denial of legal and medical access to injured students in the Police action.
Last Sunday evening, the protest by students and local residents against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act had turned violent with several buses being set on fire. Soon after the incident, a huge number of policemen and CRPF personnel had entered the campus. Due to the lathi-charge, several students were seriously injured – some had his hand or leg broken, many sustained wounds on head, one law student was hit in the eye so hardly that he lost his left eye.
At least three persons, including two students had got bullet injuries also. While the police denied it opened fire on the students, after the videos of shooting emerged the police said it opened fire in self defence.
In their complaint to the police, the Jamia university authorities have also charged the police with trespassing the campus and damaging the properties.
Since the last week incident, hundreds of students and local residents have been protesting against the police crackdown and the controversial law.
