Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students, who have been protesting for the last six days over missing student Najeeb Ahmad after a brawl, staged a protest outside the Ministry of Home Affairs at North Block on Friday. 150 students were detained by the Delhi Police.
Former JNU Student's Union (JNUSU) vice president Shehla Rashid Shora too was detained at Jantar Mantar after which they were taken to the Parliamentary Street Police Station.
The agitating students were stopped by the Delhi Police and could not reach the North Block, while they were detained from three different places, including Rafi Marg, Jantar Mantar and Rail Bhawan.
“We are being kidnapped by the Delhi Police. What are they afraid of and what made them divert our routeIJ” Shora asked.
Anticipating the protest, the Delhi Police had blocked Vehicular movement on Raisina Road and paramilitary forces were deployed at and around the area after police received information that the university students would arrive to stage a protest, a police official said.
With the agitated students keeping Vice Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar and other university officials confined to the university's administrative block for over 20 hours earlier, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had on Thursday directed Delhi Police Commissioner to form Special Investigating Team (SIT) to trace the missing student.
A student of School of Biotechnology, Najeeb Ahmed, allegedly went missing on Saturday following a brawl on the campus the night before. An FIR on kidnapping and wrongfully confining a person was lodged at Vasant Kunj North Police station after the police received a complaint from the student's guardians.
“It's been seven days since Najeeb has been missing and there is no progress in the search. Delhi Police must intensify the investigation” one of the detained students added.
Students blamed both Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Delhi police for “negligence in investigation”.
Tight security was followed by police along with paramilitary forces near the protest spot where vehicular movement was minimised to ease the traffic congestion for commuters.
The JNUSU submitted a memorandum to the Ministry of Home requesting “intervention for ensuring safety and justice for Najeeb.”
Najeeb's family, which has been camping inside the JNU campus for five days, also joined them in the protest.
