JNUSU prez, who incurred 16 stitches, booked for vandalism
New Delhi: Hours after JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh was brutally beaten inside the JNU campus with iron rods and hammers by unidentified masked goons, the Delhi Police named her in two FIRs for attacking security guards and vandalising the server room on Saturday, a day before the rampage took place.
Even as the Delhi Police is yet to arrest those involved in the hours-long rampage at the JNU campus on Sunday, it has come under fire for naming students, including Ghosh, in its FIR.
The JNUSU president, who bled profusely after the miscreants hit her on the head, was taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) where she was given 16 stitches.
People from various sections slammed the police for framing her despite witnessing a one-sided brazen attack on her.
The police, in their third FIR, have booked unknown persons for attacking students and vandalising properties and even have not made any arrests so far. People raising their voices against the brutal attack on university students and other sections criticised police inaction claiming that their move is an attempt to save those who terrorised the students by keeping the entire university hostage for nearly three hours.
Reacting over police action against her, Ghosh said she is confident that there can be no police action against her regarding the two First Information Reports since she has not been involved in any violence. "I have not done any violence. The police first need to have proof against me to take action," she told the media on Tuesday.
She insisted the accusation was a "story made up by the university authorities". "No such incident (in the server room) happened. I have proof of voice messages and screenshots. There are call records showing guards beating up students in the server room. ABVP activists came and literally lynched Satish," said the student leader, claiming she was slapped by one of the security guards.
Meanwhile, Geography professor Sucharita Sen, who was severely injured in the attacks filed a complaint with the Vasant Kunj police station, alleging that a "masked mob" had in a planned manner and with common intention hit students and faculty members inside the campus and also vandalised her car on Sunday night.
She also alleged that the Chief Security Officer of the campus had chosen not to act even after receiving reports from her colleagues about the ongoing violence. Sen alleged that the CSO simply asked her colleagues to call the police.
Under fire from students and faculty members for not doing enough when they were being brutally attacked, JNU Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar on Tuesday urged students to put the past behind and return to the premises. The V-C, in a statement, said: "Our heart goes out to all injured students. The incident (violence) is unfortunate. I would like to tell students that JNU campus is a secure place. I urge all students to come back to the campus. Let us put the past behind."
Officials from the HRD ministry is set to meet Kumar on Wednesday to discuss the recent violence on the campus and other issues affecting the varsity's normal functioning. "The Vice-Chancellor will be meeting the senior officials tomorrow (Wednesday) at the ministry," an official said.
Students are, however, protesting inside the campus with numerous political leaders and alumni joining in to express solidarity. CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, Kanhaiya Kumar, Kavita Krishnan, D Raja, actor Deepika Padukone came together in solidarity with the students. The 34-year-old actor, who is in the national Capital to promote her upcoming release Chhapaak, was outside the university campus to express solidarity with the protesting students. She also met Ghosh and hugged her.
Jamia Millia Islamia faculty too joined a public meeting at JNU.
The alumni of JNU also held a march outside the university but were stopped as heavy barricades have been set up.
