Jamia protest: Beating & communal slurs allege students, cops deny

New Delhi: Students of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) on Wednesday accused the Delhi Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for manhandling them, where few alleged they were hit on their private parts as well, during their march from the varsity to the Parliament on Monday.

Addressing the media at the varsity's gate number-18, about 20 students, including a couple of locals, who were part of the protest alleged they were beaten up with lathis and a chemical was sprayed on them during the scuffle. "Police manhandled me when they were detaining me. My clothes were here and there and they also abused me," said Chanda Yadav a student of Jamia. Zikra a student of Jamia, meanwhile, claimed that the CRPF stood on top of her and also raised communal slurs.

Moreover, the students alleged that when they were marching towards Holy Family hospital road, they saw there were no barricades.

"I was hit on my private parts by a male police officer," a student said. "They hit me on my chest and stomach, due to which I have a hairline fracture on my rib," she added.

Meanwhile, the police has denied all allegations. "The South-East district police exercised utmost restraint in handling the aggressive Jamia Students and other agitators near Holy Family Hospital where they tried to force their way through the police barricades and march to the Parliament without permission. Appropriate legal action is being taken against the aggressive and violent crowd," said DCP South East.

"The kind of abuses they unleashed on us, showed the mentality of the police these days," said a student at the press conference. The students have also claimed that more than 55 people have been injured in the attack.